Eternal Bonds
by Agent O'Brian
Summary: JackChloe. Takes place after Season 6. Chloe and Morris have left CTU after Day 6 and are awaiting the birth of their child when Chloe receives a phone call that will change her life.
1. Taken

Disclaimer: I don't own 24, or its characters.

Chapter 1

"Come on, you stupid piece of crap! Why won't this go through?" Chloe said as she continued to plow through the uncooperative file, the normally simple task taking all her efforts to complete. "There, that should do it. Now let's see if it works." Punching in the last set of keys, she sat back and waited for the process to begin. After a long pause, the system finally began running the files she wanted.

Just then, her cell phone began to vibrate. "Dammit! I thought I shut it off." She checked the ID- caller unknown. _What the hell?_ "Hello?" No answer. "Who is this?" Still no answer. "If this is some kind of prank, I really don't have time for this."

"...Chloe?" The voice on the other end finally spoke. She couldn't believe it. It was him.

"...Jack?"

"Yeah, it's me. Chloe, listen. I need your help."

Chloe struggled to keep the wave of disappointment that threatened to overtake her down. Of course he needed her help. Why else would he call her? Certainly not to have a friendly chat.

"Chloe, are you there?"

"I'm here, Jack. What do you need?"

"I stumbled onto something and I need your help with it."

"I'm sorry, Jack" she replied. "I don't do that kind of thing anymore. I'm out of the spy business."

"I know, Chloe. And believe me, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't really important. But I don't know who else I can trust right now."

_I'm going to regret this. But Jack has done so much for the country, it wouldn't hurt to help him one last time._ "Okay, Jack, I'll do it. But after this, I'm out. No more help from me."

"Okay. Can you meet me in 30 minutes at the corner of of Vista and Horton? There's an old bottling plant there we can use."

"I'll be there." Chloe hung up the phone. Without missing a beat, she put her system on standby to let it run and picked up the phone.

"Chloe O'Brian's office" the harassed voice of her secretary answered.

"Andrea, it's Chloe. I'm going to be unavailable for the rest of day, so if anyone calls for me, take a message."

"Of course, Ms. O'Brian."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Andrea, I told you to call me Chloe."

"Sorry, Ms.- Chloe."

"I'll see you tomorrow." She disconnected the call and prepared to leave for the day. After securing all her sensitive files, she left her office and headed for the elevator. The ride down was deserted, allowing Chloe to get lost in her thoughts. _What could Jack possibly want from me this time? Why does he need to see me in person?_

Reaching her car, she grabbed her phone once again.

"O'Brian residence."

"Hi, Morris, it's me." _He's gonna kill me._

"Hello, darling. This is certainly a surprise. I wasn't expecting to hear from you for a couple of hours at least."

"I know."_Here we go._"Look, I'm probably not going to be home until late tonight, so dinner is up to you. I have to go somewhere."

"Where are you going?"

"I can't tell you. It's for Jack."

"Jack?"

"Yeah, he called me a few minutes ago, said he needed my help with something."

"I thought we agreed to leave CTU to get away from all that, have some control over our lives again." Morris sounded irritated.

"We did. Look, I told Jack that it was going to be the last time. You know I don't want to go back to that."

"What if something were to happen? It's not just your life you're endangering, Chloe" he pointed out. "What about our child? I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to either of you, sweetheart."

"I know. Nothing is going to happen. I'll be with Jack. He won't let anything happen to me."

Morris sighed. "Obviously, I can't stop you from doing this. Just be careful."

"I will."

Chloe arrived at the plant 25 minutes later. _Why would Jack want to meet here if he needs my help? Nothing high-tech about this place at all. _Still, she trusted him. He must have a good reason for it.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the key to her trunk and unlocked it. Inside was a keycard for her laptop and a pistol. Ever since the attempt on her life 2 years prior she had taken to carrying a weapon with her at all times. Even though Jack was going to be there, it never hurt to be prepared.

Chloe walked into the plant and began searching for Jack. "Jack? Are you here?" No answer. Carefully making her way through the dimly lit plant, she continued to call for Jack. "Jack, it's Chloe. Where are you?" She started to get nervous as she continued through the plant and Jack was nowhere to be found. _Jack, I swear to God, if this is some prank, you are so dead. _She eventually reached a room that was lit up. She peeked in the room- Jack wasn't there. _That jerk. He isn't here. When I get my hands on him-_

She had no time to react as she was grabbed from behind and a rag with chloroform was placed over her mouth. She tried to struggle out of her assailant's grip, but it was far too strong for her, and she wasn't able to break free. Her vision began to fade as the chloroform began to take effect and she slumped lifelessly into the arms of her assailant.

Please feed the bard. Reviews are always appreciated, positive or negative.


	2. Where's my wife?

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chloe was roughly placed on the floor by her assailant, who bound her hands and feet tightly, then pulled a picture out of his pocket and checked out Chloe's profile. Having satisfied himself, he grabbed his phone and made a call. "Burke here" the voice on the other end boomed.

"It's Adrian" the hitman said.

"Do you have O'Brian yet?"

"Yes. She came here- just like you told her to."

"Excellent." Burke sounded pleased. "Now, make sure you aren't being followed, then bring her to the rendezvous point."

"What about her child?"

"What child?"

"O'Brian's pregnant, sir."

"Dammit!" Burke cried out. "Alright, take care of the situation."

"Sir?" Adrian asked.

"I don't need to spell it out for you, Adrian. Take care of it."

"Yes, sir."

_Two months later..._

Jack was driving along the road, lost in thought. He wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing, but he knew that he needed to forever close the book on this part of his life in order to move on. He pulled up in front of the house. To his surprise, it looked deserted. The lights were off and the curtains were drawn. _I'm at the right place- where is she? _Jack got out of the car and went up to the door. He raised his hand to knock, but paused. _Maybe she won't want to see me. I shouldn't do this. I should just go, let her live her life and be happy with Morris. But I should at least say goodbye. I owe it to her- and to myself._

He knocked forcefully on the door. "Chloe, are you in there?" After not receiving a response for a while, he turned to leave, but was stopped by the door opening and Morris appeared. A look of shock appeared on Morris' face for a split second, replaced quickly by anger, and without warning, Morris launched himself at Jack. Jack was taken by surprise at first, but reflexes honed over 2 decades of danger quickly kicked in, and Jack was able to subdue the other man to prevent him from hurting himself.

"Where is she, you bloody bastard?!"

Jack was confused. "What?"

"What have you done with my wife, you selfish bastard?"

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked.

Morris let out a short humorless laugh. "Don't play innocent with me, Jack. If Chloe would rather stay with you, at least tell me where she is so I can say goodbye to her."

Sensing that Morris wasn't going to attack him again at the moment, Jack released him. "Morris, I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't know where Chloe is. That's why I came here- to talk to her."

"She told me 2 months ago that you called her and asked for her help. Then she disappeared. Who else could she be with?" Morris retorted.

"Morris, I haven't spoken to Chloe since the day I came back from China."

Both men went silent and came to the same conclusion. "Oh, my God. She's been taken." Morris said.

"Did she say anything about where she was going when you spoke to her?" Jack asked him.

"No. She wouldn't tell me. All she said was it was for you and she would be home later."

"Dammit" Jack said. "We have to find her."

"How? I've been looking for her for 2 months, and I've come up with nothing."

Jack was at a loss for once. "I don't know." _But I do know what it's like to be abandoned and at the mercy of others. I won't let Chloe suffer that same fate._


	3. No one knows where you are

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 3

"Hit her again."

Chloe grunted in pain as the whip bit into her back once more. Her captors had been whipping her for a while now, and she wondered how much more she could take. _How could you do this to me, Jack?_ Despite her determination not to yell, another cry of pain escaped as she was struck again. _I risked everything for you. My job, my freedom, my life, all of it risked time and time again, and this is how you repay me? Why?_

"STOP." A voice cried out as the torturer who had been hitting her prepared to strike again. Chloe heard the door to the cell open and footsteps behind her. "Leave us." It was Jack's voice, all right. She heard the torturers leave.

"Hello, Chloe." Chloe looked up at the figure standing in front of her. He had Jack's voice, yet he looked nothing like Jack. Jet black hair, tall, slender figure, and those eyes. Jack's were warm and deep blue. These were cold and gray.

"Jack?" Chloe asked.

The figure laughed. "Not quite." He removed a small object from his neck. "Voice synthesizer. With this, I can impersonate anyone I want. Ingenious, isn't it? How else could I get to you, Chloe?"

A strange feeling of relief washed over Chloe. _Jack had nothing to do with this after all. I should have known he'd never do this to me._

"But enough about that." The man said, breaking Chloe out of her thoughts. "Let's talk about you. Or rather, what you can do for me." He held up a hard drive. "Do you recognize this?"

Chloe said nothing. She wasn't going to tell this monster anything. He viciously backhanded her across the face. "You will answer me when I speak to you, Chloe! I asked you a question!"

Stunned by the blow, Chloe was barely able to cough out a "Yes."

"Of course you do. After all, you built this hard drive. And you're the only one who can get into it. And get to the information you stored on there. So?"

"...You want me to retrieve the information on that hard drive for you."

He smirked. "You catch on quickly, Chloe. So tell me, how long will it take for you to get the files and download them to my network?"

"I'm not doing it." Chloe said forcefully.

He was taken aback by her response. "What?"

"You heard what I said. I'm not letting you get that information. I don't care what you do to me."

_Dammit. She's a lot tougher than I thought. Perhaps I need a different tactic. _"What if I were to pay you to do it?"

"Pay me?" _What is he up to?_

"Yes. You get those files for me, I'll give you enough money for you and your family to live like royalty for the rest of your lives. You won't ever want for anything."

Chloe was mad now. "What do you take me for? If you think I'd sell my country out for a few million dollars, you're sadly mistaken." She punctuated her reply by spitting at him.

_How dare she? I could have her life ended in an instant, and she knows it, yet she chooses to defy me._"Is all the pain you've gone through worth it, Chloe?" She stared at him. "I've read your file. You've been arrested 3 times in 2 years, your friends have died because of your mistakes, and now your child has been taken from you. You left the government to get away from that. You could leave here with only a minor stain on your conscience and go live your life. Just give me the files."

_I know what I have to do. I will not let him beat me._ "No."

His face contorted into a mask of rage at her response. He grabbed her hair and pulled her close to him. "What you've been through is nothing compared to what's coming next. And no one knows where you are, Chloe. I can do whatever I want to you. Just keep that in mind." She responded by spitting at him again. "GUARDS!" He bellowed, releasing her. The torturers came into the cell. "I don't care what you have to do! Just get her to do what I want! And let me know the second she does!" He stormed out in a blind rage.

Chloe watched him leave with a feeling of regret. _He's right. No one knows where I am. They don't care, either. Jack, Bill, Morris, they aren't coming for me. I'm on my own._


	4. I can hande it

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Chapter 4

"Here you go, ma'am" the guard at CTU said to Chloe as he handed her laptop and other belongings back to her. "Go on ahead."

"Thanks" Chloe said as she made her way through the check-in station and proceeded to the bullpen, her nerves surprisingly calm for once. She was about to start her first day at CTU Los Angeles after being transferred from CTU Washington, and she was not thrilled about it. Chloe looked around the office. While Washington was cold and foreboding, this place seemed to have an air of familiarity. _At least I'm away from Alberta Green_, Chloe thought. She had never gotten along with the DC Director, often being forced to go behind her back to help Chase do his job. Green had merely tolerated her, until one mission that had caused havoc not only in DC, but also in LA.

She had called them both into her office after Chase returned from LA, read them the riot act for almost an hour, and suspended them both until further notice. Chase had tried to place the blame on himself, so Chloe wouldn't get in trouble, but Green was adamant that Chloe take responsibility for her part. Chloe was called into the office 2 months later and informed by a smug Green that she was being transferred to Los Angeles. At the time, Chloe had been furious, but when learning that Chase had been transferred there as well, she grudgingly accepted it.

"Can I help you?" A voice sounded behind her. Chloe turned around to see a tall, slender man standing there with a suspicious look on his face.

"Yeah. I'm here to see Tony Almeida. I'm starting here today." Chloe said.

He pointed to an office on the next floor. "Tony's in his office. You can find him there."

"Thanks..."

"I'm Adam. Adam Kaufman."

Chloe introduced herself, not missing the slight look of annoyance that flicked across Adam's face when she said her name. _Great, I haven't even started yet, and everyone here already hates me. _She made her way to the office Adam had pointed out and stopped outside. Chase was in there, deep in conversation with another man that Chloe guessed to be Tony Almeida. She knocked on the door, and was beckoned in by Chase.

"You must be Chloe" Tony said to her, shaking her hand. "I'm Tony Almeida. I run this office. You already know Chase."

"Hey, Chloe. It's good to see you again." Chase said, giving her a friendly embrace.

"Hi, Chase." Chloe replied, happy to see a familiar face. "You wanted to see me, Mr. Almeida?"

"Please, call me Tony" Tony said with a slight smile. "Yeah, I just wanted to make sure you get set up all right. You'll be working in Field Ops, mostly, so you'll mostly be dealing with that side of the office, but if you have any questions for me, don't hesitate to ask. In the meantime, Chase can help you get started. Chase?"

"Come with me" Chase said, leading her to a vacant cubicle on the other side of the office. "You can set up here for now."

"There you are, Chase." Both Chase and Chloe looked up to see a blond man heading in their direction.

"Jack" Chase greeted him. "Chloe, this is Jack Bauer. He runs Field Ops. Jack, this is Chloe O'Brian, our new coordinator."

"Hello, Chloe." Jack shook her hand firmly. Chloe, however, was unable to respond at first, her normally sharp mind going completely blank at the sight of her new boss. She soon snapped out of it and choked out a subdued "Hi."

"Chase, we just got a lead on that cell we've been tracking. We're going to check it out later. Chloe, can I talk you to in my office first?"

"Okay." Chloe said. _I'm making a wonderful first impression. I just made a total fool out of myself in front of my boss. _She followed him to his office and he closed the door behind him. "Sit down" he instructed her.

"Chloe, I'm going to be honest with you, and I expect you to do the same with me. I'm not the easiest person to deal with. This office expects results quickly and efficiently. That means if I need something now, I need it now, not five minutes from now. If you can't handle that, just let me know, and I'll have you reassigned elsewhere.

Chloe mentally rolled her eyes. _Great. Another one that thinks I can't handle the job. _"Look, Jack. You just tell me what you need when you need it and I'll get it for you. I have done this job before. I can handle it." She stood up abruptly. "If there's nothing else you need from me, I'd like to get to work."

Jack was pleasantly surprised by Chloe's brutal honesty. "I guess I'll let you get to work, then. Just one more thing- if anyone gives you a hard time, come to me, and I'll take care of it."

Chloe merely nodded and left the office to set up her station. As she was working, she glanced back at Jack's office. He caught her eye and gave her a brief smile. Chloe couldn't help but think her life was about to get a little more interesting with Jack Bauer around.

Chloe was snapped out of her memory by the sensation of cold water being splashed on her face. She violently coughed a couple of times and opened her eyes to see her tormentors had stopped beating her, but were now merely standing in front of her, one of them holding a bucket of water and a bag of salt.

"Give us the files, O'Brian" The first one said once again.

"Go to hell!" Chloe spat out.

He motioned to his partner, who dumped the bag of salt into the bucket and handed it to him. Chloe furiously jerked on the chains holding her in place, willing them to break, but it was a futile effort. She was trapped.

The first tormentor held the bucket over her head, purposely letting a bit splash out. Chloe was just barely able to keep from screaming out in pain as the salt water hit her back.

"One last chance, O'Brian" The second man finally spoke.

"No" Chloe gasped out weakly.

The first man merely grunted and dumped the entire bucket of salt water on her exposed back. Chloe screamed in agony as she was doused, the nerve endings exposed by the beatings inflamed by the salt, causing massive jolts of pain to course through her body. The pain soon proved to be too much and Chloe slipped once again into the painless state of unconsciousness.


	5. Tired of failure

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 5

_One year later..._

"She's not here, Jack."

"Are you sure, Chase?" Jack spoke into the phone.

"I'm positive. I went through the area 3 times. There isn't anything here. You got another bad lead, Jack." Chase said wearily.

"Thanks, Chase. Get back as soon as you can." Jack hung up the phone. "Dammit!" _Another failure. Every time I get close to finding you, Chloe, you slip further and further away. This is getting ridiculous._ He was getting tired of failure. He would find even a slight lead on Chloe, and check it out, only to have it turn out to be bad.

Jack glanced over at Morris, who had fallen fast asleep at his computer. Jack didn't blame him for falling asleep. All 3 of them were beyond exhausted. 14 long months of sleepless nights pouring over millions of files trying to find even a small lead on Chloe, grueling cross-country trips, the deflating feelings of failure after every bad lead, all of it was taking a serious toll on the 3 of them.

Yet, despite all of that, they persevered on, each one desperate to find Chloe as soon as possible. _After everything she's done for me, how could I do anything less?_ Morris had told him one night while they were on the road struggling to stay awake about everything Chloe had done to try to get him out of China. All the hours she had spent, the favors called in, even being hospitalized twice due to exhaustion. He had told Jack about the guilt she had felt after Audrey's death. Audrey had only gone to China after Chloe had begged her for her help, and Chloe had never forgiven herself for getting Audrey killed. _I should never have believed Chloe abandoned me._

"Morris." Jack walked over to the other man and roughly shook him. "Wake up."

Morris jerked up, clearly still out of it. "Jack. I fell asleep, didn't I? Bloody hell. I'm sorry, Jack."

"It's alright, Morris. Don't worry about it. Let's just get back to work."

Jack sat back down at his computer and resumed the task he had been working on. He might not be a skilled hacker like Chloe, but he wasn't completely hopeless, either. The job was very mind-numbing and Jack soon felt the creeping lethargy overtake him once again. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

"Jack!" Morris' voice woke him from his slumber.

Jack shook himself awake quickly. _Dammit, I fell asleep again. _"What is it, Morris?"

"I think I found something!" Morris replied urgently.

"What did you find?" Jack asked him, fighting down the familiar feeling of hope. _Better not get my hopes up until I know that Chloe's actually there._

"I've been working on this file we intercepted last week" Morris replied. "Most of it was slagged, but I did find some references to a captive government agent."

"How does that help us, Morris? There are a lot of missing federal agents. It could be any one of them." _Please don't let this be another dead end._

"Because there were also some references to Project Carradon. So it has to be about Chloe."

Jack was confused. "What the hell is Project Carradon?"

Morris paused for a few moments before answering. "Project Carradon was a program created by Division for the purpose of designing hard drives that could safely store information. The drives would allow only one person to be able to get in and out without erasing the data stored inside. Both Chloe and I were involved in the project years ago when we worked in DC. It was eventually shut down due to lack of funding, but not before Chloe had created a prototype that only she could get into."

Jack slowly put the pieces together. "So whoever kidnapped Chloe has the prototype hard drive and needs her to get the information."

"Most likely." Morris said.

"What about all the other agents involved in the project?" Jack asked warily.

Morris scanned the document he had pulled up. "As far as we know, all of the other agents that were involved are accounted for."

"All right. We're going to need to contact each one and find out if they had anything to do with Chloe's kidnapping." _Finally, we might have something real here._

"There's something else." Morris said. "An address. 3625 Vista Avenue. It's an old bottling plant about 15 minutes from here."

"Great work, Morris. I'm going to check it out personally. I want you to stay here and see if you can pull anything else off that file."

"I'm coming with you, Jack."

"No, you're not, Morris." Jack said forcefully. "I'm doing this alone."

"Chloe is my wife. You might need backup."

Jack wouldn't budge. "Morris, you're not a trained field agent. The best way you can back me up is to keep working on that file."

Morris opened his mouth to argue, but closed it soon after. "Fine. Just find my wife, Jack."

"I will." _Hang on, Chloe. I will find you._


	6. A different tactic

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 6

"Dammit!" Burke said in frustration as he glared at the monitors in his control room, his attention riveted to the woman he was using all his efforts to break.

"Things not going well for you?"

He turned around and scowled at the man standing in the far corner of the room. "What the hell do you want, Miles?"

The figure stepped into the light, revealing the smirking profile of Miles Papazian. He glanced briefly over at the monitor. "I had come by to see if you had gotten the information out of O'Brian yet, but from the looks of things, you haven't."

"Of course I haven't" Burke said impatiently. "If I had, do you think she'd still be breathing?" He turned his attention back to the monitor, where one of his men was applying electro-shocks to his captive, the pain she felt showing on her face with each dose.

"Of course not" Miles stated. "I just know your reputation. You were able to break agents that no one else was able to in half the time. You've been working on O'Brian for 16 months, and she still hasn't broken."

"When you came to me and told me about the hard drive and O'Brian, you told me she would be easy to break."

"I never said that. I told you that O'Brian wasn't a field agent, so she wouldn't be as difficult to break. Obviously, we've severely underestimated her."

"Obviously" he snapped. "This is costing me a fortune. Is the information on that hard drive really worth all this effort?"

Miles merely held up a hand. "Trust me. That information will give your employers an advantage for years to come. The cost you're paying now will seem like nothing once that happens."

"You had better be right, or you're the one that's going to pay, Miles."

Miles glanced back at the monitor. He smirked as he got an idea. "What if we were to try a different tactic?"

"Such as?"

Miles leaned over and whispered something in Burke's ear, the suggestion causing him to smirk. "Perfect. I might just keep you around after all." He turned and left.

Miles remained behind, stonily watching as Chloe was removed from her restraints to be given her daily ration of watery gruel and lukewarm water, her captor's one concession to keeping her alive. _You deserve every ounce of pain you're feeling, O'Brian. You took everything from me. Now it's my turn._

2424242424

Chloe wearily finished off the meager rations she had been given and glanced up at the chains that been holding her, steeling herself for whatever torture her captors had in mind for her next. _How long has it been? How much more of this can I take? Even when I sleep, the pain is still there. I could just give them what they want. They'd kill me, but at least the pain would be over. No! I won't give in! I'm not a traitor. Even if they did let me go, who would want a traitor around?_

Her guard moved to restrain her once again and resume the torture, but the door to her cell suddenly opened and a figure walked in. Chloe recognized it as the man who had impersonated Jack, the one who was holding her here. "Enjoying yourself, Chloe?" he asked her smugly. Chloe said nothing and looked away. She was rewarded with a stinging slap across the face. "What did I tell you? Answer me when I ask you a question."

"Screw you." Chloe spat viciously, glaring at Burke, and was given another slap for her answer. "Such vile language." He gazed down at her defiant posture. "You know, Chloe, you could have been spared all this pain and anguish if you have just given me what I want. Have you changed your mind?"

"No, I haven't. I told you won't do it."

"Get up" he barked at her. She just glared at him. "I said, get up, Chloe!" He motioned to the guard, who hauled Chloe roughly to her feet.

"Let's go." Chloe found herself being dragged out of the cell and marched down the corridor. The pace was strenuous and she found herself exerting all her energy just to keep up. They reached another room a few minutes later and she was marched in. "Chain her to the wall." The guard dragged Chloe to the far wall and firmly secured her in place. "Perhaps some time with no food or water will change your mind. See you in a few days." Burke laughed viciously and slammed the door, enveloping the room in total darkness.

Chloe was left alone in the darkness. All the courage she had shown earlier melted away and she broke down, the tears that had been held back for months in an effort to not show weakness finally coming out. _Jack, where are you?_


	7. Where is my sister?

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 7

Jack arrived at the address he had been given, and was almost immediately suspicious. _It looks completely deserted. But right now, it's all I've got. _He made his way around the plant, scoping it out for any possible surprises. Finding nothing, he moved to a side door and tried to open it, his suspicions growing when it opened easily. _A deserted plant wouldn't just be left open. Something is going on here._

He slowly made his way through the dimly lit plant, the remnants of machinery standing silent, the thick layer of dust on the floor helping to mask the sound of his footsteps. The familiar feeling of disappointment that once again he had gotten a bad lead returned. He eventually reached a control room in the center of the building and checked it out. Finding nothing, he turned to leave, but stopped when he saw what looked like a handgun of some sort. He inspected the weapon, his heart skipping a beat when he recognized it. It was the same weapon he had given Chloe 3 years before when she was being hunted by hitmen. Next to the weapon was a rusted keycard.

_Dammit, not again. Where are you, Chloe? _Jack got up to leave the room, but he was stopped by a faint yell. _What the hell was that? _Drawing his weapon, he ran through the plant toward the source of the noise and came upon a lit-up room. It was completely empty, save for a man restrained in a chair, who was being forcefully interrogated by a petite blond woman. Jack stayed out of sight, deciding to listen in.

"Where's Chloe O'Brian?!" The woman barked at her captive, pointing her weapon viciously at him._Who is this woman? Why does she want Chloe?_

"I don't know" he gasped in pain.

"I don't believe you" she snapped, and brought the butt of her weapon down hard on his knee. He howled in pain. She bent down and grabbed him close. "Where is my sister?"

Jack was stunned. _Sister? _Chloe had never mentioned having a sister. She had never talked about her family before, often changing the subject whenever she was asked.

She let go of him and brought her weapon up to his forehead. "You have until the count of 5 to tell me what you did with Chloe O'Brian, or I will kill you."

_No. I can't let him die, not if he knows where Chloe is. _Jack rushed into the room. "Back away from him, NOW!" He yelled, startling both of them.

The woman wheeled around and pointed her weapon at him. "Who the hell are you? If you've come to rescue your buddy here, think again."

"He's not my friend" Jack said. "But he has information that I need." Sensing that she wasn't going to stand down, he raised his arms and slowly lowered his weapon. "My name is Jack Bauer. I came here looking for a friend."

She stared at him for a minute, then holstered her own weapon. "My name is Tyler Anderson. This bastard kidnapped my sister Chloe, and I am going to do whatever I have to to find her. I was in the middle of finding out where he took her when** you **interrupted."

"I told you, I don't know where she is" her prisoner said.

"And I told you I don't believe you" Tyler snapped at him, and moved to strike him again, but was stopped by Jack.

"Tyler, wait. Let me handle this" Jack said. He turned to the man and pointed his weapon at the man's knee. "What she's done to you is nothing compared to what I'll do, unless you tell me now where Chloe O'Brian is." The man said nothing and merely stared at him. "Fine" Jack said and prepared to shoot him.

"No, wait!" He yelled. "I'll tell you what I know. The money I got for this job isn't worth being a cripple."

"We're listening" Tyler said.

"I don't know where O'Brian is right now. I was only paid to kidnap her and bring her to a drop point. Once I did, they took her somewhere else. The drop point is the old rail crossing at Largo Junction."

"Who hired you?" Jack asked.

"He gave me a name- David Burke. I don't know if it's his real name or an alias, and I didn't ask."

"Keep an eye on him" Jack said to Tyler. "I'm going to check out that name." He moved a safe distance away, keeping an eye on Tyler in case she tried something stupid. He pulled out his phone and called Morris. "Morris, it's Jack."

"Jack?" Morris sounded urgent. "Did you find anything?"

"Maybe. Right now I need you to do a search on the name David Burke."

"Did you say David Burke?" Morris asked curiously.

Jack was suspicious. "Do you know him?"

"I might." Morris went silent and Jack heard the clicking of keys. "Here we go. David Burke. Born in Birmingham. Worked for MI-5 and MI-6 years ago as an interrogator. Was discharged after an interrogation went wrong and resulted in the death of an innocent man. Worked as a mercenary for a few years, but disappeared 16 months ago." _The same time Chloe disappeared_, Jack thought.

"Good job, Morris. We have to assume that he's the one that has Chloe." When Morris failed to respond, Jack got concerned. "Is there something you're not telling me, Morris?"

"I knew him, Jack. We worked at MI-6 together. Even back then, he was known for being particularly brutal in his interrogations. He enjoyed hurting people. Now that he's gone to the dark side..."

Jack's blood ran cold. _This monster has Chloe. Who knows what he's done to her? _"We have something here, Morris. We will find Chloe." He hung up the phone and leaned against the wall. _Chloe, please don't give up. I will find you._

"Did you find anything?" Tyler asked Jack as he walked over to her.

"It sounds like the name he gave us is legit. Did he tell you anything?"

"Nothing else that could be useful. Just a lot of macho crap."

"I don't think he's going to tell us anything else." Jack said wearily.

"You're probably right" Tyler said and turned to leave. She suddenly turned around and fired 3 shots into the captive mercenary. "That was for my sister, you scumbag." She holstered her weapon and looked at Jack. "Come on, let's go" she snapped and stormed out of the room.

Jack quickly shook off the shock and ran after Tyler, catching up with her as she was leaving the plant. "What the hell was that?" He snapped at her.

Tyler just glared at him. "I told you, Jack. I would do whatever I had to to find my sister. I meant what I said. If that means killing every single scumbag that's holding her, I will. If you don't have the stomach for it, then go home and stay out of my way. I've been searching for her for 16 months on my own, and I don't need any help from soft-hearted cowards."

"Listen to me, Tyler" Jack barked. "I want to find Chloe just as much as you do, but we won't be able to find anything if you just go around shooting every lead we come across." When she didn't respond, he continued. "Help me find your sister. If we combine our efforts, we'll be able to find her faster."

"...Fine" Tyler finally said.

"Thanks. Right now, we need to focus on finding this guy Burke. He's our only lead to Chloe."_ I swear to you, Chloe. I will find you, no matter what I have to do._


	8. I don't tolerate weakness

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 8

The low hum of computers and the chatter of busy analysts filled the air as yet another day was slowly winding down at CTU. This was the type of day that Chloe hated the most. No terrorists plotting to blow up the world, no fanatics threatening to kill the president, just hours of boring paperwork. She scowled as she read through the file she had just been sent by one of her analysts. _Why does Division insist on hiring these idiots?_ She picked up her phone.

"CTU, Specter" the high-pitched on the other end said. _Where do they find these idiots, junior high?_

"Michael, it's Chloe."

"Yes, Ms. O'Brian?" Michael said nervously. _Good, he should be nervous._

"Do you mind telling me why you just sent this file to me only halfway completed?"

"Ma'am?"

"The KT file you just sent to me marked as completed is missing half the data it's supposed to have" Chloe snapped.

She heard the clicking of keys as he checked the file. "But I thought the information I left out wasn't necessary for internal files."

Chloe was getting mad now. "It doesn't matter what you think is necessary, Michael. What matters is doing the job right the first time, so I don't have to waste my time cleaning up after you." She sent the file back to his inbox. "Now I just sent you back the file. Fix it and get it back to me in 10 minutes. And next time, do it right without me having to get on your case about it, or I'll find someone who can." She slammed down the phone in disgust. "Idiot!"

_If I'd have known being Senior Analyst would mean dealing with complete idiots, I wouldn't have taken the job. _She was still adjusting to being the top analyst in the unit, having taken over for Adam when he resigned following the death of his sister. Chloe had applied for the job at the last minute, almost on a whim, believing that she wouldn't get it. She had been thrilled when she was selected for the position. Now she was starting to second-guess her decision, dealing with the idiots under her.

"Chloe, are you all right?" Chloe jumped a little at the voice behind her. Jack was standing there with a concerned look on his face.

"Don't sneak up on me, Jack." Chloe sat back down. "I'm fine. Just dealing with the usual parade of morons Division keeps sending over here." She looked at him curiously. "What are you doing here? I thought you were off-duty today."

"I am, but Erin wanted to see me" he replied.

Chloe scowled at the mention of the current director of CTU. She and Driscoll had not gotten off to a great start. Driscoll had called a briefing her first day there, to demonstrate how things were going to be different under her command, and Chloe had remarked that they'd be better off doing some real work instead of listening to a bunch of back-slapping speeches. Driscoll had tried to get her fired, but Jack intervened, and Chloe was kept on. When Chloe had later applied to be Senior Analyst, Driscoll had tried to get one of her own people picked instead. Chloe eventually got the position after Driscoll was forced to back off, but the animosity between the 2 women remained.

"Good luck in there, Jack" Chloe told him.

"Thanks, Chloe" Jack said and walked away.

Chloe turned back to her computer and got back to work, quickly losing herself into her work. She looked up a few minutes later to see Jack coming out of his office, flanked by 2 security guards. _What is he doing? _She walked over to him. "Jack, what's going on?"

"Could you give us a minute, please?" Jack asked the guards standing next to him. They moved a short distance away, keeping a watchful eye on him.

"Chloe, I've been removed as Head of Field Ops."

Chloe was stunned. "What?"

"That's why Erin wanted to see me. She just fired me."

"How can she do that? After all you've done?"

"She told me she didn't want someone that was addicted to heroin working for her. She considered it a weakness" Jack replied glumly.

Chloe looked down at the floor, unable to meet Jack's eyes. _This is all my fault. I'm responsible for Jack getting fired. If I hadn't said anything, he'd still be here._

"Chloe, what's wrong?" Jack asked.

"Jack, I'm sorry. I was the one that turned you in for using heroin. You're getting fired because of me." Chloe refused to look at him, refused to see the betrayal and anger she was sure he felt.

Jack was stunned at her confession that she busted him, but he quickly shook it off. "What are you sorry for? Chloe, if you hadn't have turned me in, I might never have gotten clean. If anything, I owe you for that."

Chloe looked at him, surprised to see not anger, but gratitude in his eyes. "But I got you fired."

"Chloe, listen to me. This might be the best thing for me right now. Ever since Teri was killed, my life's been a mess. Getting away from this job will allow me to put my life back together."

"Mr. Bauer?" One of the security guards interrupted.

"I understand. Good-bye, Jack."

"Good-bye, Chloe."

Chloe watched as Jack was escorted out of the building by security. _I'll probably never see him again. But at least he has a chance to get away from this place. _Her phone suddenly rang. "O'Brian" she answered.

"Chloe, I'd like to see you in my office now." _She sure didn't waste any time._

"Fine." Chloe hung up and made her way to Driscoll's office, not even bothering to knock as she walked in and shut the door.

"Chloe, I know you're probably upset that I fired Jack Bauer." Driscoll said.

"Yes, I am, Ms. Driscoll. I think you're making a mistake firing the best field agent this office has."

"I can't have someone on my staff that's weak, Chloe. Weakness is not something I'm willing to tolerate. But that's not why I called you here. I want to know if you'll still be able to do your job. If you can't, then I want your letter of resignation on my desk within the hour."

"Look, Ms. Driscoll. Just because I think you made a mistake by firing Jack, that doesn't mean I can't do my job. I'm a professional." Chloe was getting irritated again. _I do not need this aggravation now._

Driscoll looked at Chloe, watching for any signs of deception, but finding none. "That's all I need to know, Chloe. You can go back to work."

"Thanks" Chloe snapped and walked out of the office, sitting back down at her station. It was then she noticed something by her computer. It was a picture of her and Jack from the day he took her out to dinner after she had been named Senior Analyst. _Thanks, Jack._

2424242424

Chloe shifted uncomfortably for the 100th time, trying to find a position that would allow her even a shred of comfort, but failing miserably. She was still chained to the wall, and she had long ago lost track of time as she hung there, completely alone, the heavy metal collar around her neck just barely allowing her to breathe. The room was still pitch black, the only sound a steady dripping of water. Chloe struggled to block it out. She had gone without food or water for a while and she felt her will to resist slowly slipping away as the lack of fluids was taking a serious toll on her.

Without warning, the door to the room was slammed open, and Chloe cried out as a blinding light hit her sensitive eyes.

"Ready to reconsider, Chloe?" Chloe was still blinded by the light, but she recognized the voice._That's the bastard that's holding me here. _She was suddenly filled with hatred as her will to survive returned full force. She closed her eyes as she was struck in the face. "How many times do I have to tell you, Chloe? Answer me when I speak to you."

"I'm not helping you" Chloe coughed out, her voice weakened by lack of water.

"Such a shame. You know, I thought you were much smarter than this." _She still won't give in. If this didn't break her, what will? _"Take her back to her cell" he said to the guards. They unlocked the chains holding Chloe and dragged her along the corridor back to her cell.

Chloe dragged herself to the hard wooden shelf she slept on and curled into a ball, looking up at the window, wishing not for the first time that the next day would never come. _Jack, where are you? Help me._


	9. Squabble between family

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 9

_8 months later..._

"Jack, are you all right?" Morris greeted Jack as he, Chase, and Tyler walked into the house, all 3 of them exhausted and even more frustrated. "What happened over there?"

"Another dead end" Jack growled wearily. "Harrison's dead. We sent his files to your system, but from the looks of them, I don't think we're going to get anything useful out of what we got."

"What happened?"

"He took us by surprise, Morris. He was going to kill me, when Tyler killed him" Chase interjected.

"Another suspect off the list, then. This is bloody marvelous. You know, we could possibly be further along in finding Chloe if **someone** here wasn't so trigger happy" Morris replied, shooting a nasty glare at Tyler.

"What?!" Tyler barked, standing up abruptly. "Are you saying this is my fault?"

"I'm merely making the point that if you didn't kill half the people we find, we could have found Chloe by now" Morris said.

Tyler walked over to Morris and grabbed his shirt, pulling him close to her. "Don't start with me, Morris. We've all made mistakes, so if you have a problem with me, then say it."

"Enough!" Chase stepped in between the 2 in-laws. "This is not the time for us to be fighting each other. The more we do that, the less chance we have of finding Chloe." Tyler glared at Morris, but sat back down. "Look, we're all exhausted and on edge right now, and the finger-pointing isn't helping. Now we need to keep going. Chloe is still out there, and she needs our help."

"Chase is right" Jack said. "Let's just get back to work."

2424242424

Tyler leaned back from her screen a few hours later and rubbed her eyes wearily. _Maybe Morris is right. Half the leads we find end up dead because I do something stupid. It's not helping. _She glanced over to where Morris was working, thoroughly engrossed in his task. Jack and Chase were fast asleep in the other room, the 4 of them having reached an agreement to get more rest after Chase had dozed off at the wheel one night and nearly gotten them killed.

Tyler got up and walked over to Morris, who was still working. "Any luck, Morris?"

"None that could be considered fortunate. Just a lot of random junk" Morris replied without looking up.

"Look, Morris, I'm sorry about the way I acted earlier. I shouldn't have over-reacted like that" Tyler said.

Morris turned and looked at her. "Don't worry about it. What's a little squabble between family, right?"

"Right" Tyler replied. "It's just, I'm terrified. My sister is in the hands of a brutal monster that enjoys hurting people, and all I want is to find her, get her out of there, and I can't."

"Believe me, I know how you feel."

"It's just not fair" Tyler sighed. "I finally get out of that prison, out of the CIA for good. I'm ready to patch things up with Chloe once and for all, and someone takes that away from me."

"You're preaching to the choir here" Morris said. "Not many people get a second chance to be with the person they love. I was fortunate enough to have that opportunity. I told myself I wasn't going to blow it this time, that I was going to be there for Chloe and our child. Now, she's in hell, and I can't be there with her."

Tyler laid a hand on Morris' shoulder. "We will find her, Morris."

Morris' computer beeped suddenly. He turned to it and began rapidly typing.

"Did you find something?" Tyler asked.

"I think so. It looks like your source paid off, Tyler. We found one of Burke's associates, Gilbert Taylor. He owns a legal firm downtown."

"Good job." Tyler looked at her watch. _Too late to see him tonight. _"We'll pay him a visit in the morning."

2424242424

"Can I help you?" Taylor's secretary asked.

"FBI" Chase said, flashing a forged badge. "We need to speak with Gilbert Taylor immediately."

She hit the comm button on her phone. "Mr. Taylor? Some people from the government are here. They need to speak with you."

"Send them in."

Gilbert Taylor was sitting in his office working. He looked up as he saw 2 grim faced men walk in, followed by a short blond woman.

"Can I help you?"

"Chase Edmunds, FBI. My partners Jack Bauer and Tyler Anderson. We need to ask you a few questions."

"What do you want to know?" Taylor asked.

"Have you seen this man?" Jack asked, passing a picture of Burke over to him.

"I can't say that I have. May I ask who he is?"

"His name's David Burke. We need to find him as soon as possible" Tyler pressed.

"I'm sorry, Agent Anderson. I've never seen this man before in my life."

The room went silent, both parties staring at each other. Jack suddenly reached over the desk and dragged the startled lawyer over to his side. "We know you're lying. We know you've been in contact with Burke, and we know you know where he is. So unless you want me to get violent, I suggest you tell us what you know."

"You can't do this." he protested.

"We can" Jack growled at him. "Now, you're coming with us. You're going to check out of here for a few days. Make any attempt to escape, or call anyone to warn them, and I will kill you."

Sensing his options were limited, he agreed and picked up his phone. "Allison?"

"Yes, Mr. Taylor?"

"I'm going to be out of the office for a few days. Cancel all my appointments."

Jack grabbed him and walked him out, carefully concealing his gun to avoid attention. _Chloe, please hold on. I will find you._

2424242424

"Where is Burke?!" Jack yelled at Taylor.

"I don't know any Burke" he said.

Jack was growing frustrated. They had been at it for over an hour, the lawyer proving to be tougher than they thought. Jack gestured to Tyler, who proceeded to break the man's thumb.

"Where is Burke?" Chase asked.

"All right, all right" he gasped. "He's in Utah. 30 miles west of Provo, there's an underground bunker there. That's where you can find him."

"We're going to Utah" Jack said. "Get the car ready."

"I told you where he was. Let me go" Taylor protested.

"You're coming with us" Jack barked at him. _I found you, Chloe. I just hope I'm not too late._


	10. Why won't she break?

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 10

"Burke here." The man in question was pacing angrily in his control room.

"It's Garrett." The hushed voice of Gilbert Taylor's secretary said.

"Why are you calling me?" He asked suspiciously.

"We have a problem, sir. Jack Bauer showed up at the office yesterday with two others wanting to see Gilbert. Then he took him out of there. He probably knows where you are by now."

"Dammit! You assured me that everything would be fine. How could you let this happen?" He snapped.

"I'm sorry, sir. I couldn't refuse to let them in. It would have looked suspicious" she replied.

"It's a little late for sorries, isn't it?" he growled.

"What would you like me to do, sir?"

"Cover for him. If the authorities discover him missing, that could lead them to us. As for Bauer, we'll take care of him. Perhaps the death of the one person O'Brian would risk everything for will be enough to break her." He hung up and turned back to the monitor. Chloe was curled in a ball, lightly shivering in an attempt to get some warmth. _How has she resisted for 2 years? I've made a career out of breaking people, both terrorists and feds. Some of my subjects were the toughest men I've ever met, trained for years to resist all forms of torture, and I broke them all. Why won't she break? What is it going to take to finish the job?_

He was interrupted from his thoughts by his phone. "What?" he barked.

"It's Miles."

"Are you finally done?"

"Yes" Miles said.

"Good. Have it taken to O'Brian's cell and get back here." _Let's see if you can resist this, Chloe._

2424242424

Chloe remained huddled on the hard shelf, staring blankly into space, trying to block out the pain. Her mind flashed back to the past few months. Burke had been very angered that she still had not broken after 3 days of absolute deprivation, and had ramped up his efforts. She had been taken back twice more, silently suffering, each time taking a worse toll on her damaged psyche. The last trip, combined with a particularly brutal beating later, had caused her heart to give out from the strain. Only a frantic effort by her captors had saved her life.

Burke had been furious that she had almost died and executed the men responsible on the spot. He had backed off for a few days after that, leaving Chloe completely alone, save for her daily rations. The new men he had brought in to break her were even more brutal, pushing her even harder, at one point locking her in cold storage for hours. She had gotten a nasty case of pneumonia from that, the sickness nearly taking her life a second time.

Chloe rolled on her side, gazing up at the window, her thoughts turning briefly to those she had once considered friends. _What friends? If they cared about me, they would have found me by now. Jack isn't coming. He abandoned me, just like he thought I abandoned him in China. Morris is probably shacked up with some hooker, getting drunk. Chase cut me off years ago. Tyler wouldn't lift a finger to help me. My "friends" have abandoned me. I guess I better accept that. I'm going to die in this hell, and no one cares._ A single tear rolled down her cheek.

She looked up as her cell door opened and Burke walked in, followed by 2 men wheeling a table with restraints. "Secure her" Burke said. They dragged her over to the table and strapped her in. Chloe didn't even struggle.

"Change your mind yet, Chloe?" He asked, in an almost bored tone. She chose not to respond and was struck in the face, just like she expected. "Answer me!" She said nothing. He slapped her again. "I said, answer me, Chloe!" She still said nothing and just stared at him. How dare she? "I'm going to ask you one more time, Chloe. Give me those files or else."

Chloe had had enough. "You know what? Go ahead, kill me! You'll just lose that information, and I'll be free of you!" she yelled angrily.

"Oh, I'll do worse than kill you, Chloe." He motioned to a third guard, who slowly walked toward Chloe, lightly tapping a large sledgehammer in his hands. Chloe felt sheer terror rising inside her as he approached.

"What's it going to be be, Chloe?" He questioned.

Chloe fought down the fear she was feeling and turned to her captor. "No" she said simply.

"Fine." He turned to the guard, who swung the sledgehammer down on his victim's exposed legs. The screams of agony echoed all the way to the control room, where the sole occupant smirked in satisfaction. The guards released the screaming Chloe from the restraints and dumped her on the floor, walking out of the cell. Chloe tried to drag herself to her bed, but her legs made her unable to move, and she lay on the floor, begging whatever force was out there to take her.

2424242424

Jack steeled himself for his task as he and his allies sped down the road in the dark and arrived at the bunker that Chloe was being held in. He silently offered a plea to whoever was listening that he wasn't too late to save Chloe.

"Is this the place?" Chase asked their hostage.

"This is it" he replied sullenly.

"Good" Jack said, and promptly knocked him out. He carefully secured him in the trunk of the car.

"What's the plan, Jack?" Morris inquired.

"Morris, can you hack into their systems?" Jack asked him.

Morris began typing on his laptop. "I can get into their systems. What do you need?"

"Does the building have cameras?"

"Yes. I can't see what they're showing, but I can disable them." He punched in a few keys. "Done."

"Bring up a map of the bunker and send it to our PDA's." Tyler said.

"Done."

Jack studied the map he had gotten. "Morris, stay here and keep an eye on our captive." When Morris opened his mouth to protest, Jack held up his hand. "Don't argue with me, Morris. We need you here to keep the comms running." He turned to Chase and Tyler. "Chase, go in through the west. Tyler, take the south. I'll take the northeast. The first one of us to find her, contact the others."

The 3 agents split and headed towards the bunker. Jack slowly made his way toward the entrance, killing one of the guards and taking the other hostage. "Tell me what I want to know, and I let you live." The guard nodded frantically. Jack showed the map of the compound to the guard. "What room is Chloe O'Brian being held in?" The guard pointed to a small room 50 yards from the northeast entrance. "Give me your keys." Jack growled. The guard handed them over. Jack snapped his neck.

Jack made his way through the corridors, silently taking out any guards he came across, until he reached the cell he was looking for. He shot both guards and unlocked the door, walking in and securing it behind him. He then turned around. What he saw made his blood run cold.

Chloe was hanging limply from manacles fixed to the ceiling, her badly mutilated legs dangling uselessly beneath her. She had been stripped completely naked, and her back had been shredded, a mess of old scars and fresh wounds. Jack just stood in place, horrified at the level of brutality that had been inflicted on her. _Oh my god. What the Chinese did to me is nothing compared to what's happened to her. _He shook off the shock and unlocked the manacles holding Chloe, lowering her gently to the floor. Frantically he searched for a heartbeat, relieved when he found one._I'm not too late. _He touched his comm unit. "This is Jack. I've found Chloe. I repeat, I've found Chloe." He held Chloe gingerly, the tears he had held back for months falling freely.


	11. The rescue

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 11

"Jack!" Chase was the first to respond. "Jack, where are you? Are you all right?"

Jack touched his comm unit. "I'm fine, Chase. I'm in a cell about 50 yards from the northeast entrance. Chloe was being held here. She is alive."

"Thank god" Tyler said. A pause. "How is she, Jack?" she asked cautiously.

"She's in really bad shape, Tyler. She's alive, but just barely. You two need to get here now."

"We're on our way" Chase said.

Jack dropped his comm unit and turned his attention back to the injured woman he held. Her breathing was shallow, the pain from 2 years of imprisonment showing even as she slept. "Chloe, please hold on. You're safe now." _Chloe, I'm so sorry. All of this is my fault._

Chloe stirred and opened her eyes, realizing she was no longer hanging from her restraints, but laying on the floor. _Are they done with me for now? _She looked around, her eyes eventually focusing on a sight she thought she'd never see again. Jack was holding her gently, his eyes red and brimming with tears. "Jack?" she asked weakly.

"Yeah, it's me, Chloe" Jack finally answered.

"You came for me" she whispered, unable to believe it. _This is a dream. I'm going to wake up and Jack will be gone. What's it going to be tomorrow? More beatings? Electro-shocks? What else can they do to me?_

"Of course I did. You're my friend, Chloe. I would never abandon my friends" Jack said.

"Jack." It was Tyler. "Jack, open the door."

Jack started to get up and open the door, but was stopped by a hand on his arm. "Jack, please don't leave me" Chloe begged softly.

Jack felt his heart break at her plea. _What the hell did they do to you, Chloe? _"It's all right, Chloe. I'm not going anywhere." As much as he hated to leave her side, Jack slowly got up and opened the cell door. Tyler rushed in, her weapon drawn, Chase right behind her, both stopping dead in their tracks when they saw Chloe lying on the floor. Chase stood there, totally stunned, but Tyler quickly rushed to her sister's side. "Chloe? Chloe, it's Tyler. Can you hear me?"

Chloe looked at Tyler curiously. "Tyler? Is that really you?"

Tyler struggled to keep her emotions in check._ I can't cry now. Chloe needs me to be strong for her. _"It's me. We're going to get you out of here, Chloe." She looked up at Jack. "What's the plan, guys?"

Jack pulled out his PDA and studied the map of the bunker. The closest entrance to our transport is the southern entrance. We'll go out that way. I'll go first. Chase, carry Chloe. You follow right behind me. Tyler, you go last and cover our backs."

He cautiously looked out the door and to his relief, the corridor was empty. "Let's go" he said quietly. The 4 of them slowly made their way out of the cell and down the corridor, Chase carefully holding Chloe, trying not to jostle her. "Hang on, Chloe" he said.

"I want to go home, Chase" she told him.

"We're going home, Chloe" he replied.

2424242424

The two guards walked along the corridors, not even bothering to look around for signs of trouble. Night patrol was among the worst in the bunker- incredibly boring, not to mention lonely. Both of them looked forward to going back to day shifts. They eventually reached the cell where the prisoner was being held and stopped. Both guards were lying on the floor, dead. They checked the cell, but their prisoner was gone. One of them grabbed his phone.

"What?" the groggy voice on the other end said.

"Mr. Burke, it's Collins" the scared guard replied.

"It's late, you idiot. This had better be important."

He gulped. "The prisoner's gone, sir."

"What?" Burke was now wide awake. "What happened?"

"We were on patrol when we saw the cell guards lying dead on the floor. We checked her cell- she's not there."

_Dammit. _Burke bolted to the control room, only to find the camera systems offline. "Dammit!" He sounded the alarm. "I don't care what you have to do, you idiot! Just find her!" He hung up and stalked out of the control room, determined to find Chloe and punish her for trying to escape. _You're not getting away from me, Chloe. I didn't spend 2 years of my life trying to break you, to let you go now._

2424242424

"We're almost there" Jack said, studying his PDA. "About 10 more yards." He suddenly cursed as the alarms sounded. "Dammit, they know we're here. MOVE!" he yelled. The 3 of them broke out into a sprint, Chase struggling to keep up and not shake Chloe. They bolted out of the entrance and made a beeline for their transport, getting in quickly. "Drive!" Jack hollered at Tyler. Tyler quickly fired up the engine and stepped on the gas. The vehicle quickly sped away from the bunker, leaving the guards behind.

"I think we lost them" Chase said a few minutes later.

"Stop the car" Jack said. He grabbed 2 clips from the ammo case and got out.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Morris asked.

"I'm going back" Jack answered. "I'm not letting them get away with this."

"I'm coming with you" Tyler said.

"No, you're not. You're staying here with Chloe" Jack growled at her. Tyler started to protest, but Jack quickly shut her up. "Listen to me. You 3 stay here and wait for me. If anyone comes around, you get out of here. The important thing is getting Chloe to safety." All of them nodded.

Jack made his way back to the bunker, moving stealthily along, silently killing each one of the guards that were unlucky enough to come across him. He eventually reached the control room and looked in. It was deserted. He turned to leave when he felt a gun barrel on the back of his neck. "Don't move, Bauer" a voice behind him said.

Jack found himself slammed up against the wall by a very angry Burke. "You bastard" Jack hissed.

"You're going to pay, Bauer. I spent 2 years of my life trying to break that slag, and you took her from me. Now I'm going to kill you" Burke said.

Jack quickly saw that he was out of options. _Chloe, I'm sorry. _But at least you're safe now. Jack heard a gunshot, and the grip holding him suddenly loosened as Burke grabbed his arm. Jack quickly broke free and viciously pummeled the man, until he was laying on the floor, bruised and bleeding. Jack picked him up and viciously snapped his neck. "That was for Chloe" he barked at the dead man. Jack looked up to see Tyler standing there holding her weapon. "What are you doing here?" he yelled. "I told you to stay with Chloe."

Tyler merely holstered her weapon. "I wanted to help finish the job, Jack. You think I'd just let the scum responsible for torturing my sister go free? Besides, he would have killed you."

Jack looked at her, then grabbed his own weapon off the floor. "Thanks. Now, let's go."

Jack and Tyler made their way out of the bunker, neither one noticing the figure in the shadows that watched them leave. Miles made no effort to follow them. He would have plenty of time to take care of business later. _Don't think for a minute you're safe, O'Brian. I will find you, and you will pay for what you took from me._


	12. Are you alone?

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 12

Chloe worked steadily on the hourlies she had been given, not in any hurry now that the crisis had abated. The air at CTU was one of slowly winding down after a pressure-packed day, one that Chloe would not forget anytime soon. _Hard to forget about a nuclear missile nearly wiping out LA, not to mention a nuclear power plant melting down, Air Force One getting shot down, the Secretary of Defense getting kidnapped, and I got fired. All I want to do is go home and forget today ever existed._

She looked up from her computer to see Michelle walking into the bullpen, followed closely by Tony. _I hope they got Jack out all right. _Chloe caught Michelle's eye and the other woman walked over. "Is Jack okay?" Chloe asked.

"Yes, we were able to get him away safely" Michelle replied.

_Thank god. _"I forged the autopsy files like you asked. They're in the database" Chloe told her.

"Thank you, Chloe."

An uncomfortable silence fell as the 2 women went silent. Chloe decided to break the ice. "What about you and Tony? I mean, he was just here temporarily, and what with you guys not being together anymore and-" She shut up quickly. _I have got to learn when to shut up sometimes. _"I'm sorry. That was a little rude."

Michelle merely smiled. "It's all right, Chloe. Tony and I have decided to leave CTU for good, and start our lives over."

_They're so lucky. They get a second chance. _"Well, good luck" she said. "You two deserve it."

"Goodbye, Chloe" Michelle said and walked over to Tony. Chloe watched them walk out of CTU, stopping only to exchange a few words with Bill Buchanan. She quickly got back to work, finishing up her last reports and shutting down her system. _For the last time. After today, I'll probably never see this place again. 24 hours ago, I was happy to walk away. Now, I want to stay and I can't. _She was interrupted by her phone ringing. "O'Brian."

"Chloe, can I see you in my office please?" It was Buchanan.

"Yes, sir. I'll be right there."

Chloe nervously made her way up to Buchanan's office. _He probably wants to make sure I'm out of here now. _She knocked on the door and Buchanan waved her in.

"Sit down, Chloe" he told her. She didn't argue.

"Chloe, I've been looking over the reports of the last day, especially with what happened to you earlier" he started.

_Oh, here we go. This is where he tells me to make sure I'm out of the building immediately. _Chloe braced herself for the bad news.

"Based on what's happened, I would like you to resume your position as Senior Analyst and Head of Comm full-time."

"Sir?" Chloe was confused. _He wants me to stay?_

"Chloe, this office is in disarray right now. The events of the last 24 hours have not been good for us. Right now, I need my best people in place, and you're the best analyst we have" Buchanan replied

"What about Edgar?" Chloe asked.

"Edgar has done a good job today, despite the mistakes that were made. You knew what you were doing when you hired him on. But you have more experience than he does, and I need that experience."

Chloe went silent. _This is interesting. Just as I want to stay, I get the opportunity. _She looked at Buchanan. "I'll stay, sir."

He merely nodded. "Thank you, Chloe. If you're finished with your reports, then go home and get some rest. You have today and tomorrow off."

"Thank you, sir." Chloe walked out of the office and proceeded to exit the building, stopping only to gather her things. As she drove home, the events of the day slowly caught up with her and she stumbled into her apartment, collapsing on the bed and falling fast asleep.

Chloe was woken up an hour later by the ringing of her phone. _What now? _She looked at her phone and saw the message: _Griffin Park- 20 minutes- JB. _Jack wanted to see her. _What does he want?_

Chloe arrived at the park almost exactly 20 minutes later. Jack was nowhere to be found. She got another message on her phone: _Eagle statue._ She slowly walked over to the statue in question. Jack was hiding in the shadows. "Are you alone?" he asked.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. What's going on, Jack?"

"We need to talk." he replied. "If we're going to pull this off, I have to completely cut off contact with everyone else. You're the only person who can contact me."

"Why me?" Chloe asked, confused.

"Because you're the only one who still has access to government resources and you're low profile. President Palmer is too high-profile. If he were in contact with me, someone would find out eventually. Tony and Michelle are leaving the government. They won't have the clearances needed to keep my cover. You do, Chloe."

_He's right. _"All right, Jack. How are we going to do this?" she asked.

"Send me information when you can. If I need to establish a new cover, I'll contact you" he said.

"I'll take care of it, Jack."

"Thanks, Chloe."

"Take care of yourself, Jack" she said, and shook his hand. Jack walked away, toward wherever he was headed. Chloe watched him leave sadly. _He's gone, again._

2424242424

Chloe sat on her couch, typing away on her laptop. Her tv was playing some mindless comedy, but Chloe paid no attention to it, her focus on the job. Normally at this time, she would be at work, dealing with the usual morons that the government deemed "experts" at programming. _Some experts. Most of them can't even handle data entry without me there to hold their hand._

Buchanan had ordered her to take some time off after Chloe had gotten irritated with one of her analyst's continued incompetence and given her a very harsh tongue lashing in the bullpen with everyone watching. He had been forced to intervene and ordered Chloe to go home and stay away for a week and de-stress. Chloe had protested, but Buchanan wouldn't budge. Secretly, she had been relieved. Morris had been calling her again, begging her to give him a second chance. The stress of her job, not to mention all the work she put in to keeping Jack alive, was taking a serious toll on her.

Her computer suddenly beeped. _What the hell? _Her fingers flew over the keys, trying to source the problem. To her horror, Chloe discovered that someone was accessing her hard drive remotely and was checking through the data she had stored. _Oh, no. This is not good. _She tried to quickly set up a firewall, but was unable to before the hacker made his way in. _I don't have any other choice._ She activated the failsafe she had put into the files, causing them to delete.

She tried to trace the source of the break-in, but came up with nothing. _Whoever is doing this is good. Really good. _She watched in horror as she saw that her phone records had been tapped into, in addition to the forged autopsy files. _I have to warn Jack._ She knew she couldn't call him, so she sent a quick page to his cell: _We need to meet in person. Send location- CO. _She got an answer a minute later: _1879 Violet St., 3 days- JB._

2424242424

Chloe drove along the road to the airport, her thoughts going a million miles an hour._ I've really screwed up this time. Because I got complacent, someone out there probably knows that Jack's alive now. Way to go. I definitely need to be more careful in the future._

She thought back to her meeting with Jack. She had been shocked at his appearance and had told him that. He had insisted he was fine, but the pause before he answered told her otherwise. _You're not fine, Jack. _She quickly turned back to the road, determined to get back home and repair the damage she had caused.

2424242424

Chloe opened her eyes and slowly looked around. She was lying on a bed of some kind and Jack was right next to her, lightly sleeping, one hand resting on her arm. She saw Chase and Tyler deep in discussion with a distraught Morris. _Morris didn't give up on me, either._

Chloe tried to sit up, instantly regretting it as even that slight movement caused her pain. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, but her movement caused Jack to wake up. He looked at her sternly. "Don't try to move, Chloe" he told her.

Chloe lay back down. "Where are we, Jack?" she asked.

"We're on a plane, Chloe. We're going home."

"You're awake." It was Tyler. "Don't worry, you're safe now."

Morris walked over. His eyes were reddened from crying and he struggled to speak. "Hello, darling. Thank god you're alive."

"All right, that's enough. Chloe needs her rest. Let's let her sleep" Jack barked. Morris and Tyler both sat back down. Chloe closed her eyes and soon fell asleep. Jack just sat there watching her. _You're going to be all right, Chloe. I'll be here for you, no matter what._


	13. Bad dreams

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 13

Night had settled on the isolated bunker, the atmosphere silent save for the screams coming from the occupied cell. Chloe was hanging from her restraints, trying to ignore the never-ending pain, the taunts and demands from her captors ringing in her ears.

"You're pathetic. You deserve this, Chloe." Chloe looked up to see Chase standing there, his left arm mutilated. He held up the bloody stump for her to see. "Look what you did to me, Chloe. This is your fault."

"No" Chloe gasped. "Chase, I didn't-"

"Now it's your turn to feel the pain I felt." Chase picked up a cattle prod and jammed it into her left hand. Chloe screamed as her hand was burnt and shredded. She closed her eyes, only to be woken by water being flung in her face. She saw Edgar looking at her, hatred burning in his eyes. "Why didn't you try to save me, Chloe? Why did you let me die? I'm dead because of you."

"Edgar-"

"Shut up." Edgar grabbed a bloodied whip and began striking her with it. Chloe cried out with each strike. _Please, no. _Edgar was replaced by Morris, who was standing around, an empty beer bottle in his hand. "You're pathetic, 'darling'." He held up the empty bottle. "Look what you drove me to."

"Morris, I-"

"Don't say anything, 'sweetheart'." Morris smashed the bottle in half and slashed Chloe's arms. The pain was excruciating and Chloe felt the creeping darkness overtaking her. "Chloe." Chloe looked up. Jack was there. "Jack, please, help me" she begged him.

Jack laughed coldly. "Like you helped me in China? The woman I love was kidnapped and tortured for months because of you. Or when you screwed up faking my death? Our friends are dead because of your carelessness."

"Jack, please. Forgive me" Chloe sobbed.

"I'll never forgive you, Chloe" he replied. He walked toward her slowly, carrying a spiked sledgehammer. He raised it slowly. "This is what I think of your 'apology'." He swung the sledgehammer down on her legs.

2424242424

Chloe opened her eyes and bolted upright, breathing heavily. _Not that nightmare again._

She soon found herself being cradled by the tender arms of Jack, who had been watching her sleep. "It's all right, Chloe" he whispered. "It's all right. It was just a nightmare."

"Jack-" Chloe tried to speak, but was unable to as the lingering emotions from the nightmare overwhelmed her and she burst into tears. Jack just held her gently, rocking her back and forth. "Let it out, Chloe. Just let go." He continued to hold her as she cried, softly comforting her, his thoughts going back to the man who did this to her. _I hope you're rotting in the lowest depths of hell for what you did to her, you bastard._

Tyler walked into the room just then, having left for a few minutes to get something to eat. She watched helplessly as Chloe continued to cry, while Jack consoled her. _My sister is suffering because of some sick bastard, and all I want is to take her pain away, but I can't. I've never felt so helpless in my life. _She walked over to the two of them and sat down, gently rubbing Chloe's arm. "Chloe, what's wrong?" she asked. "Was it that nightmare again?"

Chloe finally stopped crying and looked at Tyler. "Yeah" she said, her voice rough with emotion. She reluctantly broke away from Jack and carefully lay back down. "Can we talk in the morning? I just want to sleep now."

"Then sleep, Chloe" Jack told her. "Close your eyes."

Chloe closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but the rest she craved eluded her, and she opened them up, staring at the ceiling. She looked over at Tyler, who was sleeping in the chair next to her bed. _If there's one halfway decent thing to come from this hell I've suffered, it's my friends._

Ever since she had been rescued from that bunker, at least one of them had been at her side at all times, helping her through the lengthy healing process._ I've gotten the chance to reconcile with my sister, something that would have been impossible a few years ago. Chase is back in my life again. Morris has been so caring and attentive, not like before. And Jack. He's rarely left my side, except when Tyler forces him to go home and clean up._

Jack had been there when the nightmares became too much, comforting her, assuring her that she would be all right. He was there to offer encouragement as she struggled through the difficult therapy sessions, working to heal her damaged body. So many times Chloe had wanted to give up, crawl into a hole and die, but she would see his face in her mind, angry with disappointment and shame, and she would press on. _He saved my life. I can't let him down._

Still, it had not been an easy month for her. Her body, ravaged and emaciated from 2 years of near starvation, was only now just starting to fill out, the bones still showing through her skin. The wounds on her back were slowly healing, but they still caused her problems if she put pressure on them. And her legs...

Her bones had been shattered by the blow from the sledgehammer, and the doctors had told her there was a chance she might never walk again. _I might be a cripple for the rest of my life. _The thought terrified her. While Chloe had never been an athlete by anyone's standard, she did not relish the thought of never walking again. _Enough morbid thoughts._ She closed her eyes, praying that the nightmares would go away, if only for a while.

Jack had gone out into the hallway, refusing to show his emotions in front of Chloe. _I can't cry, not now. Chloe needs my strength. _He thought back on the past month. He recalled the endless hours he had watched Chloe sleep restlessly, doing his best to comfort her when she cried out in her sleep, holding her at nights when she couldn't sleep. He had been impressed by how diligently she pressed through the often demanding therapy sessions, offering encouragement when it looked like she might falter.

_After everything Chloe's done for me, and everything she's gone through, how could I do anything less? She survived 2 years of absolute hell without breaking, suffering through brutal torture that would have broken even the toughest field agents, and for what? A hard drive. What is on that hard drive that is so important that Chloe would have died rather than give up?_

He looked back in her room. Chloe was sleeping soundly, the nightmares not bothering her for once. _I'll find out in the morning._

2424242424

"Chloe, we need to talk" Jack told her the next day.

Chloe was picking through her lunch, rapidly losing her appetite at the sight of the tasteless food. "Jack, what's going on?"

"Could you give us a minute, please?" Jack asked the nurse, who was checking Chloe's IV bag. She finished up and left the room. Jack turned to Chloe. "It's about why you were kidnapped, Chloe."

Chloe looked at him, confused. "You know why I was kidnapped, Jack."

"I do. But you almost died in that prison, Chloe. I need to know what was on that hard drive that was so important that you were willing to die for it."

_I knew he'd want to know sooner or later. _Chloe looked at Jack seriously. "All right. I assume Morris told you about Project Carradon." Jack nodded. "And that he told you about the prototype hard drive I had built." He nodded again. "I had gotten permission to test out the prototype by downloading some information onto it to see if it would work. The files I took were supposedly harmless data, stuff that wouldn't be damaging if it were ever leaked."

She paused. "Apparently someone had misfiled some information at one point, because the information I had put in there was far from harmless. There was a ton of highly classified information- missile systems, defense codes, lists of terrorist suspects, and a lot more. I turned it in immediately."

"What happened, Chloe?" Jack pressed.

"When the higher-ups found out, they quickly shut down the project, citing lack of funding. I was suspended for a month and the DC director was fired and sent to prison. The hard drive was stored away somewhere, I never found out exactly where, though." Chloe stopped and thought for a minute. "How did Burke get his hands on it? He wasn't working for the government at that time, and it was top-secret. None of us knew who all was involved in the project, until the files were de-classified a few months before I was kidnapped."

"I don't know" Jack said. "But I intend to find out."

A nurse came into the room. "It's time for your therapy session, Chloe."

Jack walked alongside Chloe as she was wheeled to the PT section, lost in thought. _How did Burke get his hands on that hard drive? Someone had to have gotten it for him. But who? None of the other members knew what was on there. I have a feeling this is not nearly over._

2424242424

The dingy hotel room was darkened by the setting sun, but the figure inside paid no attention, his focus on his task, fingers rapidly moving over the keys. He smirked unpleasantly as the information he was looking for came up. _There you are._

Miles leaned back in his chair, relishing what he planned to do to his target. He looked down at his hand, the scars serving only to strengthen his resolve. _You didn't escape me, O'Brian. The pain you caused me by sending me to that prison, I'll make you feel, and more._


	14. Debrief

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 14

"So you're saying that someone that was involved with Project Carradon was also involved with Chloe's kidnapping?" Chase asked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying" Jack replied. He had just finished telling Chase everything that Chloe had told him about the hard drive. "We need to find out who all was involved with the project. The problem is, none of us have access to those files. We'd have to go through back channels to get them."

"Could Chloe or Morris be able to hack in and get what we need?"

Jack looked over to where Chloe was sitting. She was deep in discussion with Morris and Tyler. "I'll ask Morris to do it. I don't want to put any stress on Chloe right now. She's been through enough" Jack said.

"Okay. I promised Chloe I'd get her something remotely edible for her dinner. I don't think the food around here fits that bill."

"See ya later." Jack walked over to the others, Chloe looking up as he approached. "Morris, could I talk to you for a minute? Alone?"

"I'll be right back, darling." Morris got up and followed Jack out of Chloe's room. "Jack, what's going on?"

Jack told him what he had told Chase. "I need you to hack into CTU's archives and get the files of Project Carradon for me. I need everything- especially all the information on who was involved. I'd ask Chloe to do it, but she's been through enough stress."

"Why didn't you just ask me in there?" Morris asked, confused.

"Because I don't want Chloe to think I think she can't handle it. You can't say anything to her, you understand?"

"Got it. I won't say a word" Morris promised.

"Thank you, Morris."

Jack watched him walk over to Chloe and talk to her for a minute, then leave._ I hope he can get what we need. _Chase returned just then, having gotten Chloe some dinner. She quickly dug in. Jack decided to take a walk and clear his head, leaving Chloe to have some time with Chase. _She wouldn't be happy if she found out I asked Morris to get what we need, but she can't be worrying about that. The only thing that's important is that she get better._

Jack returned to Chloe's room soon after. Chase had just left and Tyler was talking to her.

"Did you find out anything about who helped kidnap me?" Chloe asked.

_I can't tell her. _"No, but I know someone in DOD who can help get us what we need. I just spoke to him a couple of minutes ago."

"Did he say when he would have it?" Tyler asked.

"He didn't give me a timeframe, but it should be sometime soon."

"Good. I just wish I could help out. I feel so useless" Chloe said.

"You are helping out, Chloe. You told us what you know" Tyler told her.

Chloe looked at the time. It was getting late. "Look, can we talk about this in the morning?"

"Of course" Jack said. "You just get some sleep."

Chloe soon fell fast asleep, as did Tyler. Jack, however, stayed wide awake, watching Chloe sleep like he did every night. _We're going to get to the bottom of this, Chloe, no matter what it takes. Whoever was responsible for kidnapping you will pay for what they did to you. I swear it._

2424242424

"Jack!" Jack saw Tyler running down the hall toward him. "Jack, we have a problem."

"Tyler, what's wrong?" Jack asked.

"Division. They want to question Chloe about her kidnapping" she replied.

Jack was infuriated. "Absolutely not. Chloe is in no shape to be answering questions right now."

"Jack, I'm sorry. I've been holding them off for 3 weeks. I can't push it back any longer."

_Dammit. _"When?" he asked.

"The investigator will be here in an hour."

_I don't think we have a choice. _"Fine. But there's no way in hell that they're going to talk to her alone. I'm going to be there with her" Jack said.

Jack walked back into Chloe's room. She was watching the TV Chase had brought her, boredly flipping through the channels. She looked up as Jack walked in, an angry look on his face. _This is not good. _"Jack, what's wrong?" she asked him.

Jack sighed. "Division wants to talk to you in an hour."

"About what?"

"Your kidnapping. Tyler's been trying to hold them off of you, but she can't anymore."

Chloe was terrified. _No. I can't do this._

"I'm not happy about this either, Chloe, but I'm going to be right there with you" Jack told her.

"I guess we don't have a choice." Chloe looked at him. "Thanks, Jack. Thank you for everything. I owe you my life. I know you'd much rather be getting on with your life than taking care of me."

"You don't owe me anything, Chloe. I wouldn't let you go through this alone" he said, gently rubbing her hand.

2424242424

Chloe sat in her wheelchair in a conference room, Jack standing by her side. They looked up as Brad Hammond walked in, followed by a man carrying a tape recorder. Jack fought to keep his anger in check. _That's the bastard who sent Tony to prison._

"Hello, Jack. It's been awhile" Hammond said.

"Not long enough" Jack growled.

Hammond sat down across from Chloe. "Could you give us some room here, Jack?"

"No" Jack replied. "I know how you work, Brad. Either you talk to Chloe while I'm here, or you don't talk to her at all."

Hammond shrugged. "Fine." He turned on the tape recorder. "This is Regional Director Brad Hammond, questioning Chloe O'Brian. The time is 3:47 PM. Also present is Jack Bauer." He looked at Chloe. "State your name for the record."

"Chloe O'Brian."

"Is it true, Chloe, that on the day of August 6, 2013, you were abducted?"

"Yes, that's true."

"Tell me what happened."

"At approximately 2:30 PM, I received a phone call from someone claiming to be Jack, asking me to meet him at 3625 Vista Ave. He claimed he needed my help. I went to the location, and I was attacked from behind. I attempted to escape, but I was overwhelmed and knocked out."

"What happened when you regained consciousness?"

"I discovered that my hands and feet were bound by manacles. I had also been blindfolded, so I couldn't see where I was going."

"How long were you traveling?"

"I don't know. I spent most of the trip unconscious. Every time I woke up, I was knocked out again. I eventually woke up in a cell. I was dragged off the floor by some men, who stripped me of my clothes and chained my hands above my head. Then they started torturing me."

Chloe paused. She felt Jack's hand on her shoulder. "At first it was simple beatings- hitting me with sticks, whipping me, sticking me with cattle prods. That went on for about 2 months. At that time, I met the man who had kidnapped me. He somehow had gotten his hands on a hard drive I had built."

"Was it the prototype from Project Carradon?"

"Yes. He wanted me to unlock the files I had stored in there. I refused. He ordered his men to 'do what they had to to get me to talk'. He would come to see me about every other month and ask me to give him the information. I would refuse, and the torture would continue. After about a year, he took me to an isolation cell and chained me to the wall completely immobilized. I was left alone with no food or water.

"How long were you left there?"

"A couple of days at least. I still wouldn't give him what he wanted. After that, he pushed me even harder. I spent more and more time in isolation, I was locked in a freezer for hours, shackled in position for days at a time, raped almost every night. But I knew I couldn't give him those files."

Chloe paused again. I can't do this. "It's all right, Chloe" Jack said quietly. She continued on. "About 3 days before I was rescued, he came to see me one more time. When I still refused, he ordered my legs broken. I was beaten almost non-stop until Jack and my friends saved me."

Hammond stared at her. "So you spent 2 years being tortured, and you didn't give in?"

Chloe was stunned. _He doesn't believe I didn't talk. _"No, I didn't" she said forcefully.

"With all due respect, Chloe, you're not a field agent. I find it a little difficult to believe you held out for that long."

"How dare you." Chloe was furious. "How dare you think I talked. Look at me!" She wheeled her chair away from the table. "My body is a wreck. I'll probably never walk again. I have nightmares every night about what I went through. Do you think they would have let me go once I gave them what they want? No! They would have killed me! And what did you do? Nothing! The government didn't lift a finger to help me! I'm only alive now because of Jack and my friends!"

"But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? You've sat behind a desk all your career, passing judgment on those that risk their lives every day keeping this country safe. I'm a patriot, Mr. Hammond. I didn't give them anything!"

"All right, this interview is over!" Jack yelled, switching off the tape recorder. "Get out!"

Hammond merely got up from the table slowly. "Thanks for your time." He walked out, his assistant taking the tape recorder with him.

Chloe was still fuming an hour later in her room. "That bastard."

"It's all right, Chloe. It's over" Jack told her.

"It's not over, Jack." Chloe looked up at the ceiling. "I was abandoned by the government I served for years. My life will never be the same." She suddenly looked at Jack. "Why didn't you come for me sooner? Why did it take you 2 years to find me?"

"Chloe, I did everything I could to find you. I'm just sorry I couldn't get there sooner" Jack replied.

Chloe scoffed. "I thought you had abandoned me, that everyone else had, too. I thought I was going to die in that prison. I thought you didn't care about me."

"That's not true, Chloe. I care about you."

Chloe just turned away from him. "Just get out, Jack. Go."

Jack stood there, stunned at her anger. She looked back at him. "Get out, Jack. Leave me alone."

Jack sighed. "All right, I'll go." He walked out of the room, fighting back the tears that were coming out.

Chloe buried her face in her pillow, crying softly.


	15. Brother

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 15

Jack stood in the hallway outside Chloe's room, tears running down his cheeks freely. He slowly sunk down to the floor and buried his face in his hands. He kept seeing the anger on her face, hearing her harsh words over and over, the sting of her rejection of him growing. _How can I help you, Chloe? If anyone out there can hear me, please. Tell me what to do._

"Jack." Jack looked up. Tyler was walking towards him, Chase right behind her. "Jack, what's wrong?" she asked him.

Jack looked down at the floor. "Chloe just told me to leave" he said.

"What happened, Jack?" Chase asked.

Jack told them what had happened with Hammond. They were stunned as Jack told them what Chloe had said about her imprisonment. Chase was furious. "He just can't leave us alone, can he?"

"She told me to get out and leave her alone" Jack said.

Tyler looked at Jack for a minute, then turned to Chase. "Chase, could you go stay with Chloe for a while? I need to talk to Jack alone."

"All right." Chase walked into Chloe's room and sat down next to her, talking softly to her. Tyler bent down next to Jack. "Jack, please don't be mad at Chloe. She's just confused and angry about what happened to her right now. Just give her some time. She'll want to see you again."

"I'm not mad at Chloe. It's just, I want to help her, and I don't know what to do." Jack wiped away the last of his tears and stood up. "Tyler, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What is it?" she asked.

"When we met at the bottling plant, that was the first time I'd ever heard of you. Chloe had never mentioned you before. She never talked about her family at all, I always got the sense that she was hiding something, but I never pressed the issue."

"I'm not surprised" Tyler said. "What about it?"

"You told me that you were trying to patch up things between the 2 of you when she was kidnapped. What happened?" he asked.

_I knew he'd want to know sooner or later. Guess I might as well tell him now. _"Come with me, Jack. I need to show you something."

Tyler went in to tell Chase they were leaving. Jack looked in on Chloe. She was sleeping, Chase watching her. Jack felt a twinge of jealousy towards Chase for a moment, but forced it down. _This isn't the time. She doesn't want to see me right now. I need to let her alone to work this out._

2424242424

Tyler shut off the engine of her car and got out, Jack right behind. They were at a local cemetery about 10 minutes from the hospital. Jack followed Tyler as they walked through the cemetery, until she stopped at one of the graves. Jack looked down at the name: JASON CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON. "Who's this?" he asked.

"This is Jason. He was our older brother. He was the type of guy that you couldn't help but like. He was smart, athletic, had a wicked sense of humor, and was really handsome. We all adored him, but Chloe worshipped him. He was like a god to her. She followed him around almost everywhere he went, and he adored her, too. No one dared insult Chloe or me while Jason was around, unless they wanted to end up in the hospital for a few days."

"Everything she tried, he was right there beside her. Our parents didn't think she should 'waste her time with computers and technology', but he always encouraged her to do what she wanted, not what they wanted her to do. We all thought he was going to be a huge success at whatever he wanted to do with his life."

Tyler stopped, the memories of Jason starting to overwhelm her. She took a deep breath and continued. "When Chloe was 19, I had just gotten accepted into law school. Jason was on leave from the Marines at the time, and he took me out to dinner to celebrate. On the way home, we got into an accident. A drunk driver ran a red light and hit our car as we were going through an intersection. I escaped with only a few scratches and a broken hand, but Jason was severely injured and died at the hospital 3 days later."

Tyler stopped again and broke down, the emotions becoming too much for her. Jack just stood there and let her cry. She stopped crying a few minutes later and continued her tale. "We were all devastated at his death, but I think it hurt Chloe the most. She cornered me the day after he died and screamed at me for an hour, telling me how it was all my fault that Jason was dead and how she'd never forgive me for his death. That was the last time she spoke to me for over 15 years. Even now, I think she still hasn't completely forgiven me for it."

"Our parents split up a few months later. I think they blamed me for his death, too. I ran off and joined the army, eventually working for the CIA, until 3 years ago. I got my cover blown during a mission in Turkey and ended up in prison for a few months. They worked me over pretty good for a while, but nothing like what Chloe went through. I prayed every night that if I ever got out of that prison, I would try and patch things up with Chloe."

"I did eventually escape, and got back to the US about 2 months before Chloe was kidnapped. I got into contact with her, and after a few heavyweight screaming matches, we began to reconcile. Then, she got kidnapped. When I found out, I swore I would do whatever I had to to find her. After over a year of searching, I eventually got a lead on the man who kidnapped her and tracked him all over the country until he ended up back at that plant. Then you came in. You know the rest."

_That's why Chloe never talked about her family before. _"Thanks, Tyler. I know that had to be difficult for you" Jack said.

"We should get back to the hospital now" Tyler said.

"No, you go" Jack told her. "Chloe doesn't want to see me right now, and I'm going to respect her wishes. I need to be alone for a while. Go stay with Chloe." Chloe, I'll find a way to help you. I promise.

2424242424

Morris sat in his hotel room, working on his laptop, carefully hacking into CTU's archives, accessing the files Jack had told him to get. He downloaded them onto his hard drive and spent the next few minutes browsing over what he found. He frowned as he came upon a section that was corrupted. _That's odd. Part of this file is screwed up. _He tried to unscramble the section of code, but couldn't get it to work. _Oh, this is bloody wonderful. Hang on, I know who can do this. _He picked up his phone.

"Hello?" the suspicious voice on the other end said.

"Dalton, it's O'Brian" Morris said.

"Dammit, Morris, I told you not to call me. If you're calling to get me in on another one of your ridiculous ideas, I want nothing to do with it."

"I know, Luke. This is important. It's on the level." _Mostly._

"What is it?" Dalton asked.

"I need your help to unscramble a file. You're the best man I know for the job. Besides, you owe me for getting you out of that mess in St. Louis a few years ago. I'm calling that favor in" Morris told him.

"Fine. Send it to me." Morris uploaded the file to Dalton's system. "When do you need it?"

"As soon as possible" Morris replied. "Once you're done, I need you to contact a man named Jack Bauer. His number's 310-597-3781. He'll know what to do with it. And Luke? You can't say anything about this. To anyone."

Morris hung up and lay down on his bed, his thoughts turning to Chloe. _I finally get my wife back after 2 years, and she's a wreck. Those bastards took everything from her- she'll never walk again, she's so angry at everyone, and our child. Our hope for a new life, cruelly ripped from us. I love her, despite all that. I would do anything to take away all that pain, take in on myself, and I can't. I don't know if I can help her, to be honest._ He called Jack. "Jack, it's Morris."

"Morris. Did you get the files I need?" Jack asked.

"I got them. The only problem is, part of one of the files was corrupted. I tried to unscramble the code, but I couldn't. I got in touch with one of my old friends and asked him to unlock it."

"You brought someone else into this?" Jack was mad. "How do you know you can trust him, Morris? How do you know he's not working for whoever kidnapped Chloe?"

"Because I know him, Jack. He might not be the nicest guy in the world, but he'd never sell out a friend or give information out to anyone that's dirty." Morris paused. "Trust me, Jack, if I could do this on my own, I would, but I can't."

"Fine. How long will it take?"

"I don't know, but I gave him your number and told him to contact you once he's done" Morris replied.

"All right."

Morris hung up and shut down his laptop. He left the hotel room and drove to the hospital. _Forgive me, darling. _He walked into Chloe's room, where Chase and Tyler were trying to talk to Chloe, but she was facing away from them, not listening at all. "Chloe? We need to talk, darling."

If Chloe had heard him, she gave no indication, continuing to face the wall. Morris turned to Tyler and Chase. "Could you guys excuse us, please. I'd like to talk to Chloe alone."

"We'll be right outside" Tyler told him. She grabbed Chase's hand and dragged him out. Morris sat down next to Chloe. "Chloe? Chloe, please, look at me."

Chloe slowly turned to face him. "What do you want, Morris?" she snapped.

"Look, Chloe, I heard about what happened with Hammond."

"Bastard."

"You're right, he is a bastard. But I'm not here to talk about Hammond. Are you okay?" he asked.

"No, I'm not okay, Morris. Look at me. Do I look okay to you?" Chloe said harshly.

Morris didn't respond. _She's just angry. She has every right to be. He had no right to put her through that so soon. _"Look, Chloe, when we got back together, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't screw it up, that I would be there for you and our child. There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish I could turn back time and stop you from going to that plant. But I can't."

"I know you can't. Don't you think I feel the same way?" she said.

"I know. Chloe, I love you. I have always loved you, even when you didn't feel the same about me. I would do anything to take away the pain you feel. Even without our child, I would have stayed with you. But I can't help you now, darling."

Morris kissed Chloe gently on the cheek and stood up. "I will always love you, Chloe. And I'm thrilled you're alive, sweetheart. But you need to get through this. And I'm not what you need right now." He walked to the door, stopping briefly. "Goodbye, Chloe. Don't forget about me."

Morris walked out of the room and walked over to Chase and Tyler. "Goodbye, Chase. Tyler. Please take care of her."

"Are you leaving?" Tyler asked.

"Chloe needs you now more than ever. I can't help her. For her sake, I'm leaving."

"We'll take good care of her, Morris." The 2 men shook hands. They had never gotten along back in DC, but the manhunt for Chloe had caused them to hash out their differences.

Chloe had turned back to face the wall, trying not to cry. _First I drive Jack away, then my husband leaves me. How much longer until Chase leaves? Or Tyler? Maybe I am destined to be alone for the rest of my life._

2424242424

Morris walked out of the hospital and drove away, the figure in the shadows escaping his notice. Miles watched him leave, then looked up at the room he knew Chloe was in. _It's only a matter of time, O'Brian, before I have you. Your friends won't be at your side all the time. Once you're alone, you're mine._


	16. 4 days

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 16

"All right, I'm coming" Chloe growled as her phone continued to ring, waking her from a sound sleep she knew she needed. She had only returned to her apartment an hour ago, having collapsed on her bed and falling asleep right away. _I swear to god, if this isn't another national emergency, whoever it is is so dead. _She picked up the phone. "What do you want?" she snapped.

"Chloe, it's Audrey" the voice on the other end said urgently.

"What is it, Audrey?" Chloe asked.

"Chloe, Jack's missing."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I went to go see him at the printing plant where he was in custody" Audrey replied. "While we were talking, one of the SS agents came up to us and told him he had a phone call from Kim. Jack went to take the call, but he never came back. I went to check on him, and he was gone."

_No. _"Someone took him. He wouldn't have just left, Audrey. Now that the people who tried to take him out before are gone, he'd have no reason to disappear again" Chloe told her.

"Who could have taken him?"

"I don't know" Chloe admitted. "But I will find him."

"What can I do to help?" Audrey asked her.

"Just give me any information you find on Jack. It doesn't matter if it's current." _I don't like this. I can get the job done a lot faster without her hanging over my shoulder. But she has access to DOD's records. I need that access._

"I will."

"Thanks." Chloe hung up and buried her face in her hands. _This is all my fault. If I hadn't have called Jack out of hiding, he'd never have been taken. Of course, I'd be dead, Logan would still be president, and who knows how many lives would have been lost by those terrorists? _She sighed and got to work, sleep becoming the last thing on her mind. _Jack, I swear, I will find you. I owe you my life, now I'm going to repay that debt._

2424242424

Chloe sat at her laptop, working steadily, her concentration totally on her task. _Dammit, where are you, Jack? _She jumped a little as the door to her apartment opened and Morris walked in. "Have you been working all night again, Chloe?" he asked.

Chloe turned around and shot him a nasty look. "What do you think?" she snapped, standing up abruptly. "I can't stop now, not while Jack is still out there, probably being brutally tortured."

"Chloe, listen. You've been up all night for 3 weeks now. You don't sleep. You barely eat. If you keep going like this, you're going to get hurt."

"Morris, Jack saved my life. After everything he's done, not just for me, but for the country, and all he's lost, I'm not going to just abandon him, like everyone else has done." _Even Audrey has given up on Jack. She moved on. But I won't. I made a promise to myself that I would find him, and I intend to keep that promise._

"Chloe, I care about you. I love you, sweetheart, and it's killing me to see you work yourself to death" Morris said.

"Morris, I'm fine. Just let me work." Chloe started to walk towards her door, but she got only 3 steps before her legs buckled and she collapsed, out cold.

2424242424

Chloe woke up in the hospital, her head throbbing. Morris was sleeping in the chair next to her, his hand on her arm. _This is not good._

"You're awake" a voice next to her said. Chloe turned to see a doctor standing on the other side of the bed.

"How long was I out for?" she asked.

"You've been sleeping for almost 4 days now, Ms. O'Brian. You're suffering from dehydration and exhaustion, no doubt brought on by the past 3 weeks, which your husband said you stayed up all night" he replied.

"Ex-husband. And I can't stay here. I have work to do" she snapped.

"The only work you should be concerned with is getting better. Because you're not leaving this hospital until you are. This is serious, Ms O'Brian."

Chloe scowled. _I am so killing Morris once he wakes up. _"Fine. It looks like I don't have a choice in the matter."

The doctor left the room and Morris woke up. "You're awake- Chloe?"

"4 days?" she growled. "Jack is out there missing, and you let me sleep for 4 days?"

"Because you needed it, Chloe. I told you you should have gotten more rest. Forget about finding Jack for a while. You won't be any good to him if you work yourself to death."

"That's my decision, Morris. Look, I know you're trying to help, but I can't just sit here and do nothing."

"This isn't my call, darling. Buchanan gave orders that you take some time off from doing any work, even the work on the side" Morris told her.

"If Jack is killed, and I could have done something to stop that, it's going to be your fault, Morris."

Chloe lay back down, the drugs the doctor had put in her IV taking effect, and she drifted off, her thoughts as always on Jack. _Jack, forgive me._

2424242424

Chloe was sitting at her station in CTU, heatedly talking into her phone, chewing out yet another one of her analysts. CTU still had not gotten back to 100, even a year after the nerve gas attack had decimated their numbers. 56 agents had died in the attack, most of them from Chloe's department, and the ones brought in to replace them were not nearly as good. Chloe had been working hard for almost a year, slowly rebuilding her staff, repairing the infrastructure that that idiot Miles had wrecked, and generally getting things back to the way they were before that terrible day.

Chloe slammed down the phone, having just suspended the incompetent analyst for a week, and got back to work, when a flash bulletin came on her screen. Her blood ran cold as she read the headline: DOD OFFICIAL KILLED IN CHINA. _No. Please, tell me this isn't happening._ Her fears were realized as she read the rest of the bulletin. _Audrey's dead. Because of me. Because I begged her to go to China to help find Jack. That was the only reason she went there. Jack, please, forgive me. The woman you love is dead because of me._

Chloe got up from her station and bolted for the bathroom, darting into the first open stall and throwing up in the toilet. She sank down to the floor and began to cry. _No one can know about this. If they found out I was the one that told her to go to China, they'll come after me. I could go to prison. How would I help Jack then? No, they all have to assume she went on her own._

2424242424

"Come on, Chloe, focus!" The sharp voice of Tyler snapped Chloe out of her memory and back to the present. Chloe had been in the middle of a therapy session when the therapist had been called out unexpectedly, and Chloe's mind had wandered off.

"Just a few simple exercises today, Chloe." The cheerful voice of the therapist annoyed her. _It might be simple for this idiot, but he should try them after being tortured and nearly starved to death for 2 years. Then he'll see how "simple" they are. _Chloe began to work, her mind a million miles away.

Tyler watched Chloe work listlessly through the session, growing concerned. _What is wrong with her? Why isn't she putting more effort into this? Did that debrief she underwent kill her desire to get better? Jack, she needs you, now more than ever._

Chloe soon finished up and was wheeled back to her room for lunch, the usual tasteless food turning her stomach. She pushed the untouched tray away in disgust. "I'm not hungry."

"Chloe, you need to eat something" Tyler told her. "You haven't eaten in 3 days. I didn't get you out of that prison to watch you waste away now. Please."

"I said I'm not hungry, Tyler." Chloe lay down and faced the wall.

Tyler sat down next to Chloe and put her hand on Chloe's arm. "Chloe, please, talk to me. You're my sister. It's breaking my heart to see you shut down like this."

"I'm surprised you still care" Chloe snapped. "I'm useless. Things I could have done in my sleep a few years ago take all my efforts to do now. I don't want anyone to waste their time taking care of a useless cripple. Just leave me alone, Tyler, and let me die."

Tyler stood up and walked to the door. She turned around and looked at Chloe. "I'll be back in a few minutes. I have something I need to do. But I'm not giving up on you, Chloe. I promise." She saw Chase standing outside Chloe's room. "Go stay with her. I'll be right back" she told him.

Tyler walked outside the hospital and got in her car. _Chloe, I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you all these years, but I meant what I said. I'm not giving up on you. You will get past this._


	17. Will to live

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 17

The bunker was quiet, the usual buzz of activity had long ago ceased, save for the footsteps of the solitary figure moving quickly through the dimly lit corridors. Jack stopped to catch his breath. He had been running for a while now, and he was exhausted. _Chloe, where are you? I know you're here somewhere._

After a pause, he continued on, his eyes darting from room to room trying to catch even a glimpse of Chloe. He finally reached one room that was lit up and looked inside, hoping he had found her at last, but instead of Chloe, he saw Teri, bound and gagged, the fatal wound from Nina Myers gushing blood. _No._He quickly ran to Teri's side and freed her. _No, not again._

Teri looked up at him in disgust. "Look what happened to me, Jack. This is all your fault. You let me die, me, the mother of your child."

"Teri, no, please. I'm sorry. Forgive me" Jack begged. He looked away, only to see David Palmer standing there, bleeding from the neck. "Jack, how could you let this happen? I saved your life, and you let me die. I was killed because of you."

"Mr. President, I didn't mean for-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses, Jack. I died protecting your secret. You might as well have pulled the trigger yourself." Jack closed his eyes. "Jack. Look at me." Palmer was replaced by Tony, who was cradling Michelle's body in his arms. Tony glared at Jack. "My wife was killed because she knew you were alive. Her death is your fault, Jack."

"Tony, please-"

"I died because of you, Jack. You're pathetic." Tony then sank to the ground, a syringe sticking out of his chest. _No. No, please. _Jack walked towards Tony's body, only to find himself looking at Audrey, stumbling slowly towards him, her battered face twisted with hatred. "I loved you, Jack. I went to China to find you, and look what happened to me."

"Audrey-"

"She's right, Jack. I told you you were cursed. Still don't believe me?" Secretary Heller stood by his daughter, looking disdainfully at Jack. Jack opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a cry of pain. He turned around to see Burke striking Chloe with a bloodstained whip. Jack pulled out his weapon and emptied the clip into him. Burke fell to the ground. Jack ran to Chloe and freed her. She looked at him. "How could you do this to me, Jack? After all I risked for you, you do this to me?"

"Chloe, I didn't do this."

"I trusted you, and look what that trust led me to. Look at me, Jack. You did this to me." Jack looked at the man he killed. To his horror, his own image stared lifelessly back at him. "Yes, Jack. You did this."

2424242424

Jack opened his eyes and tried to catch his breath. He was soaked in sweat and the covers were laying on the floor. _It was just another nightmare._

Jack sat up and looked at the clock in his room. It was early in the afternoon, and he was still tired, but he had no desire to go back to sleep. _How can I, when I see the same thing every night? What's the point? "You're cursed, Jack. Everything you touch, one way or another, ends up dead." _The words of Secretary Heller came to him.

_I was so angry at him for what he said, but maybe he's right. How many people have died because of me? Teri? David Palmer? Michelle? Tony? All of them are dead, because of me. Audrey might never be the same, because of me. And Chloe. Chloe will definitely never be the same._

_She trusted me, and what did I give her in return? How many times has she been arrested helping me? She could have lost everything, yet she still did what I asked her to, because she believed in me. Did I ever show her gratitude? No. It was only rudeness and more demands. And now she's in so much pain. Someone used me to get to her. If anyone's listening out there, please, I don't know what to do. Help me._

Jack was disturbed by an insistent knocking on his door. He walked to the door and opened it to see Tyler standing there. He let her in. "What are you doing here, Tyler?"

"I need to talk to you, Jack" she replied.

_Oh, no. Did something happen to Chloe? _"Is it Chloe? Did something happen?" he asked.

"Yeah, you could say that. Jack, I'm worried about Chloe. She isn't eating, she won't talk to me or anyone else, she has to be forced to work through her therapy sessions- it's like she's lost the will to live."

"What happened? You told me last week she was doing okay."

"She was fine then. But 3 days ago, she suddenly stopped eating. I thought it was just the crappy food, but when I got her something decent, she still wouldn't eat." Tyler buried her face in her hands. "Jack, I don't know what to do. We lost almost 20 years wrapped up in hatred towards each other, and I finally get her back, only to watch her slowly waste away. Help me, Jack. I can't lose Chloe, not again."

"I'm not sure she wants to see me" Jack said sadly. _But I know who might be able to help. _"Listen, Tyler, go back to the hospital and stay with Chloe. Even if she won't talk to you, just stay there with her."

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"There's someone I need to talk to. He might be able to help."

"All right. Jack, whatever you do, please hurry" Tyler said and left.

Jack picked up his phone, pausing just before dialing. _Please, let this work._

"Buchanan residence" the male voice on the other end said.

"Bill, it's Jack Bauer."

"Jack?" Bill sounded surprised. "This is a surprise. I didn't think I'd ever talk to you again."

"I know. Bill, I need your help" Jack told him.

"What do you need my help with? Jack, I don't work for the government anymore, I don't think I can help you" Bill told him.

"It's not that. I'm out of that line of work. It's Chloe."

"What's wrong with Chloe? Did something happen to her?"

Jack proceeded to tell him everything that had happened to Chloe, from her kidnapping, to her struggle to recover, to the painful debrief. He had to stop several times to stop from crying. "And now she's lost the will to live. Bill, I want to help her, but I don't know what else to do. I was hoping you could talk to her, help her somehow."

"All right, Jack, I'll come to LA and talk to her. Where is she staying?"

Jack gave him the name of the hospital and her room number. "Thank you, Bill. I'll see you there." He hung up and left the apartment, heading towards the hospital, his thoughts as always on Chloe. _Chloe, please, don't shut him out too. If this doesn't work, I don't know what will._


	18. Secrets revealed

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 18

Tyler anxiously paced Chloe's room, always keeping one eye on her sister, who had still refused to talk to her, while waiting for Jack to return. He had stopped by briefly to tell her, after asking about how Chloe was doing, that he had to meet someone, and he would be back in a few hours. It was growing dark outside and Tyler was growing impatient. _Jack, where are you? Whatever's taking so long, it better be important._

"Tyler." Tyler looked outside the room to see Jack standing there. _About time. _She walked outside to Jack and found him standing with an older man she didn't recognize. "Who are you?" she asked him suspiciously.

"Tyler, this is Bill Buchanan, a friend of ours. Chloe worked for him when she was at CTU. Bill, this is Tyler Anderson, Chloe's sister. She helped us to find Chloe."

"Hello, Tyler." Bill shook her hand warmly.

"Hello, sir. Jack, what's going on?" she asked.

"Since Chloe won't talk to any of us, I asked Bill to try. He might be able to help get her past whatever's causing her to shut down" Jack told her.

"No offense to you, sir, but if Chloe won't talk to me, or Jack, or even Chase, what can you possibly do to change her attitude?" Tyler asked bluntly.

Jack shot her a glare, then looked at Bill apologetically. "Could you go home for a while, Tyler? Please? I'll call you if anything happens to Chloe."

"Fine. I trust you, Jack. Just help my sister" she told him and left.

"I'm sorry about that, Bill. Tyler doesn't trust anyone she doesn't know when it comes to Chloe."

"It's all right, Jack. I never knew she had a sister" Bill said.

"Neither did I, until I met her while I was looking for Chloe. But there's plenty of time to talk about that later. Chloe needs us now."

2424242424

Chloe heard Jack call Tyler out of the room and scowled. _What is he doing here? I told him to leave me alone. Why won't he listen? Why won't they just go away so I can die in peace? That's what's going to happen anyway, so why are they wasting their time with me? _The pangs of hunger had returned, and Chloe tried to block them out. _If I ignore them, they'll just go away._ She heard footsteps. "Jack, I told you to go away and leave me alone" she snapped.

"Chloe." Chloe instantly stopped scowling as she recognized the voice immediately. _It can't be. _She slowly turned to face away from the wall. Bill Buchanan was standing there, Jack right behind him. "Mr. Buchanan?" she asked.

Bill walked over to her bed and sat down next to her. "Yeah. Hello, Chloe."

"What are you doing here?"

"Jack asked me to come and talk to you" he told her.

The scowl returned in full force. "Figures."

Bill turned to Jack. "Jack, could you give us some room, please? Go wait outside. I want to talk to Chloe alone."

"All right. But I'll be right outside." Jack walked out of Chloe's room. Bill turned back to Chloe. "Chloe, how are you feeling?"

"How do you think I'm feeling, sir? Did Jack tell you anything about what happened to me? Did he mention that I spent 2 years in hell being tortured every day? That I was raped by those bastards almost every night for months? That I was nearly starved to death the entire time I was there? That I almost died twice? Or that I had my legs shattered by a sledgehammer and beaten non-stop for 2 days, until they left me to rot, when Jack found me? All because I wouldn't give some sick bastard information. I didn't betray my country, and they abandoned me, just like Jack. Think about that, then ask me again how I'm feeling, sir." Chloe glared at Bill defiantly.

Bill was stunned by her outburst. _Jack was right. She is angry. But she's letting it take over. I need a different tactic. _"Listen, Chloe, I know you're angry. You have every right to be. You didn't deserve what happened to you, no matter what you think." When Chloe opened her mouth to argue, Bill held up his hand. "Hear me out. I know what you're thinking. You believe that you deserve everything that happened to you. You're blaming yourself for getting kidnapped and tortured."

"Listen to me, Chloe. You didn't do anything to cause this. You are not responsible in any way, shape, or form for what happened to you. The ones who kidnapped you are the only ones who are responsible. They didn't win, Chloe. You didn't give in to them. But if you let the anger you're feeling take you over, then those bastards will win. You want that to happen? Or do you want to prove them wrong? You can either sit there, feel sorry for yourself, and waste away, or you can take that anger you feel, and use it to get past this."

Chloe said nothing, Bill's words starting to sink in. _How dare he? Where was he when I needed help? Out in Vermont, enjoying life, having his wife to spend the rest of their lives with, while I suffered. He has no right to tell me anything. But... maybe he's right. If I die now, that scumbag wins. All the time Jack and my friends spent finding me will have been wasted. Oh, Jack, please forgive me._

Chloe opened her mouth to speak, but was suddenly overcome with emotion, and she broke down in tears. Bill put his hand on her shoulder gently. "It's all right, Chloe. Just let it out." He looked up as Jack walked in. Bill nodded solemnly and Jack walked slowly over to Chloe, hesitating as he reached her bed, then carefully embracing her and holding her gently as a month of pent up emotion was slowly released.

"Jack, I'm so sorry I pushed you away. Please forgive me" Chloe sobbed.

"Chloe, you have nothing to be sorry for. Just let it go" Jack said softly.

Chloe stopped crying an hour later and lay back down. "Thank you, sir" she said to Bill. "Thank you both."

"No need for thanks, Chloe. All that matters is that you get better" Bill told her.

"Can we talk some more in the morning? I'm tired" she said.

"Of course" Jack replied. He and Bill walked out of Chloe's room. "Thank you, Bill."

"It's all right, Jack. It's good for me to know I still can help at least one person" Bill said.

"Listen, Bill, I know you're probably wanting to get on with your life, but I was hoping you could stay in LA for a while and help Chloe recover from this."

"Of course I will" Bill stated. "Whatever else I can do to help, I will." _After what Chloe went through, how can I turn my back on her?_

"Thanks." Jack looked in on Chloe, who was sleeping fitfully. _Chloe, don't ever scare me like that again. I don't want to lose you._

2424242424

Jack was in his apartment, having just finished showering, when his phone rang. "Yeah?"

"Jack Bauer?" The reedy voice said haltingly.

"Who is this?" Jack asked suspiciously.

"I'm an associate of Morris O'Brian. He called me a couple months ago concerning some screwed up files and told me to call you when I was done fixing them."

"And it took you 2 months to get the job done?" Jack growled.

"Hey, man, give me a break. I got a business to run, with clients that get mad if I don't get their jobs done quickly. This job was _gratis_, so excuse me if I couldn't get to it sooner. You want them or not?" Dalton snapped.

"Fine. Can you send them to a different system?"

"I can't, not without screwing them up permanently. You'll have to come see them in person. Believe me, I'd much rather just send them to you, but I can't."

Jack sighed._ Another loophole. Dammit. _"Where do you want to meet?"

The line went silent. "The old observatory on Roe. 30 minutes. And come alone."

Jack hung up and quickly got dressed, leaving the apartment, but not before calling Bill. "Bill, it's Jack. Can you meet me at the old observatory on Roe in 30 minutes?"

"Jack, what's going on?" Bill asked.

I guess he should know about the reason Chloe was taken. "Have you ever heard of Project Carradon?"

"No, I can't say that I have. Why?"

"It was a project that Chloe was involved with years ago. She had stored some highly classified information onto a prototype hard drive that only she could get into. The man who kidnapped her had stolen the hard drive and wanted her to get those files. That's why she was kidnapped. I'm meeting someone who is getting some information for me concerning the project. I need you to bring me a laptop so I can check it out."

"All right. I'm on my way."

2424242424

Jack entered the old observatory and looked around, searching for Morris' accomplice, but soon realizing it would be useless. _He'll come to me. _"Psst" came a voice from the shadows. Jack turned to see a scruffy looking man by the staircase behind him. "You Bauer?"

"Yeah. You got the files?"

The man flipped him a hard drive. "Everything you need is on there." He turned to leave, but was stopped by the muzzle of Jack's weapon pressed against his neck. "You're not going anywhere until I make sure everything's on there."

"Look, man, I got what you wanted" Dalton protested.

"And once I see for myself, I'll let you leave" Jack snapped.

"Jack." Bill came into the observatory. Jack secured Dalton to the stairwell and hooked up the hard drive to the laptop Bill had brought. He clicked on the flashing icon and scanned through the documents that came up, until he came to one that was password protected. "What's the password?" he asked the tied up Dalton.

"Nine-Sigma-Tango-Four-Seven-Alpha."

Jack punched in the password, and felt his blood run cold as he saw what was on his screen. It was a dossier on Miles Papazian, complete with detailed information concerning his involvement with Project Carradon. _He's the one who stole the hard drive for Burke. It had to be him. _"Oh, my god. Bill, we have to get back to the hospital, now. Chloe's in danger."


	19. What's the plan?

Disaclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 19

"That's it, Chloe. Keep it up" Tyler said encouragingly as Chloe worked diligently with the weights she had been given to build up her upper body. The reality that she would most likely be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of her life had only motivated Chloe to get stronger. Ever since Bill had spoken to her, Chloe had thrown her limited energies into healing her body, desperate to make up for the time she had lost pushing everyone away.

Tyler had been stunned by how hard Chloe worked, pushing herself harder and harder each day. _What on earth did Bill say to her to get her so motivated? Whatever, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that she's focused on getting better. I owe Jack and Bill so much for helping her get back her will to live. I don't know if I can ever repay them for that._

Chloe began to slow down, the effort to finish showing on her face. "All right, that's enough, Chloe. Take a break" Tyler said.

"No. I can keep going" Chloe told her. She shook off the fatigue and continued on, each rep taking a little longer than the last. _I can do this. Just a few more. _She managed to squeeze out a few more shaky reps, then set the weights down gingerly, breathing heavily.

"Chloe, I know you want to get stronger, but if you need to stop for a while, then stop. You're still recovering from nearly starving to death. This is going to take time."

"I know. But I can't just lay here and do nothing. If I do, then that bastard will win" Chloe said forcefully.

"He won't win, Chloe. But I don't want you to overexert yourself. You could get hurt even worse" Tyler replied.

"I'm already seriously hurt, Tyler. That's why I need to keep pushing myself- so I get stronger."

Tyler sighed. _She's so stubborn sometimes. First she refuses to work, then she refuses to stop. I guess I should be grateful, though, that she's so committed to this. _"Look, Chloe, I'm telling you this as your sister. I care about you. There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish I could turn back the clock and get back the time we lost hating each other. I know that's impossible, but I don't want to watch you get hurt again because you won't listen to what your body's telling you. Just slow down a little for a while."

Chloe saw the pleading look on Tyler's face and felt her resistance slipping away. _Maybe Tyler's right. Maybe I really don't need to push myself quite so hard. _"All right, Tyler. I'll back off for a while."

"Thanks."

Chloe scowled a few minutes later. "What's wrong, Chloe?" Tyler asked.

"I need to use the bathroom. Now" she replied grumpily.

"Can't you wait until Jack comes back? You know how he gets when you try to do things like that on your own."

"No, I can't, Tyler. I've been waiting for over 2 hours. I can't wait any longer" Chloe snapped.

Tyler reached for the call button to call one of the nurses to help Chloe, but was stopped by Chloe's hand on her arm. "Could you help me, please? I don't think I can wait for the nurse to get here" Chloe asked quietly.

Tyler sighed. "All right, but don't tell Jack. He'll flip out." Jack had given explicit orders to Tyler and Chase that they were to call one of the nurses every time Chloe needed to get out of bed and he wasn't around, but Tyler wasn't about to say no to Chloe. She grabbed Chloe's wheelchair and helped Chloe get in, wheeled her the short distance to the bathroom, then slowly picked her up and sat her down on the toilet, turning her back and walking a short distance away to give Chloe some privacy. She's been working so hard, but she still has a long way to go before she's out of this place.

She soon heard Chloe finish up and call for her. "Next time, tell me sooner if you need to use the bathroom, Chloe. That way you'll be able to wait for the nurse to come and help you" Tyler admonished Chloe gently. She helped Chloe back into her wheelchair and had settled her back into bed when an orderly came into her room. "Excuse me, Ms. O'Brian? I'm here to take you to your therapy session."

"Now?" Chloe asked, confused. _This is different. It's not supposed to be for another hour at least._

"I know, you're not scheduled for another hour, but there was a problem with some of the equipment, and we needed to move to a different room. This is the only time it was free" the orderly replied.

"All right. If this is the only time we can do this, that's fine" Chloe said. Tyler helped her into a pair of sweatpants and sat her down in her wheelchair, which the orderly wheeled out of the room, Tyler following right behind. They had gotten a short distance when Tyler heard her name being called. A young man in a suit was running towards her. "I'm Lonnie Termin from Division. I need to speak with you immediately."

Tyler glared at the man. "My sister is going to a therapy session, and I'm going with her. I'll speak with you when she's done."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Anderson. I need to speak with you right now. I have my orders."

"It's all right, Tyler. Go on. Talk to them" Chloe told her.

"Are you sure?" Tyler asked.

"I'll be fine. We're in a hospital, Tyler. What could happen?"

"Fine." Tyler watched Chloe being led away by the orderly, then turned to the division agent. "What is it?"

"Please. I need to speak in confidence. It concerns your sister's kidnapping."

Chloe was led into a vacant room by the orderly, who shut the door. Chloe looked for her therapist, but he wasn't there. "Where's Dr. Mackelroy?" she asked.

The orderly merely looked at her. Chloe felt the hair stand up on the back. _Something's not right_. She started to turn her wheelchair around, but was stopped by someone pressing a chloroform-stained rag against her mouth. _No. Not again. _She vainly tried to struggle out of the strong grasp, but in her weakened state, all she could do was raise her hand to the assailant's arm for a few seconds before she passed out. Her assailant grabbed his radio. "We got O'Brian, Mr. Papazian."

"Bring her here" Miles' voice came through.

2424242424

Tyler followed the man into a conference room. He shut the door and sat on the table. "Okay, so tell me. What do you know about-"

Tyler was unable to finish her sentence before she was struck on the head with a hard metal object and she fell to the floor unconscious. 2 other men came out of hiding and bound Tyler's hands and feet. "Anderson's been neutralized, sir." one of them spoke into his radio.

"Secure her, then meet back here."

2424242424

Jack drove his car rapidly through the unusually light traffic, his thoughts focused on getting back to the hospital as soon as humanly possible._ I can't believe Miles is behind this. I knew he hated Chloe, but putting her through 2 years of torture? What could have possibly driven him to that?_

"We're almost there, Jack. What's the plan?" Bill asked.

"The plan is to get to Chloe first, then I'll tell her about Miles." Jack went silent, then turned back to Bill. "Do you know why he would want to kidnap her? The last time I saw him, he had been given a position in Logan's administration after he destroyed that recording. What happened?"

"The only thing I know is that he lost his position after Gardner took over as president. Maybe he found out about Chloe helping to get Logan to confess his involvement, and he wanted revenge because he lost his job" Bill replied.

"There's got to be something more, though. Simply losing a job wouldn't be enough for him to have her tortured for 2 years. Chloe's the only one who can tell us." Jack pulled in to the hospital's parking lot and sprinted through the hospital until he reached Chloe's room. His heart skipped a beat as it was empty. _No. _He flagged down a passing nurse. "Do you know where the woman staying in this room is?" Jack asked him.

"Let me check for you, sir" he replied. Jack followed the nurse to the check-in station and impatiently waited as he checked for Chloe's whereabouts. "According to the schedule, Ms. O'Brian was booked for a therapy session in room 329 in 45 minutes, but the room is currently booked."

Jack didn't bother to let him finish as he ran through the hospital to room 329 and peeked in, but Chloe wasn't there. _No, No, please, tell me this is a dream. I can't lose Chloe again. _Bill came running up, followed closely behind by Chase. "I thought you were in San Francisco, Chase."

"I got back to LA an hour ago. What's going on, Jack?" Chase asked.

"I'll explain later. We need to find Chloe, now. We'll split up to cover more ground" Jack told them.

Jack was checking the conference area 10 minutes later when he heard muffled curses coming from one of the rooms. He busted the locked door down and saw Tyler trying to get up off the floor and free herself, but failing miserably. She had been blindfolded, gagged, and hogtied, and her neck was stained with blood. Jack quickly ran over and freed her. "Tyler, are you all right?"

"I've been ambushed, Jack. What do you think?" she growled.

"What happened?"

"One of the orderlies came to take Chloe to her therapy session. While we were headed to the rooms, a man claiming to be a Division agent asked to speak to me in private. I didn't want to, but Chloe insisted I talk to him. He led me here, and the next thing I know, I'm on the floor, bound and gagged."

_Oh my god._ "Chloe's been kidnapped again. We have to find her." _This can't be happening. Chloe, where are you?_


	20. Resignation

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 20

Chloe sat at her station, working steadily, trying to get the last of her reports done, while she kept one eye on Morris, who was also working quickly. She watched him get up and walk towards her station. "You almost finished, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Yeah. Just a few more files to reformat, then I'll be done."

"Listen, Chloe, about earlier-" Morris started, but Chloe held up her hand to silence him.

"Morris, it's okay. All that matters is that you stand by me."

Morris smiled and gently grabbed her hand. "I'll stand by you, Chloe. We're going to have a child. I won't leave you again" he promised solemnly. "I just wanted to talk to you about what you told me before. Are you sure about this, Chloe?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Morris. I've never been so sure of anything in my life" Chloe replied matter-of-factly. _Except when it comes to Jack._

"Then I'll join you, darling. I've already got it ready." Morris handed her a paper. Chloe scanned it, then handed it back to Morris. "Thanks" she told him, then looked at her screen. "Look, can we talk later? I want to get this finished, then I'll talk to Nadia."

Morris nodded and headed back to his station. Chloe finished up the last of the flagged items in her inbox, and looked up at the Director's office, where Nadia was speaking on the phone. _Might as well get this over with_. She picked up the folder on her desk and made her way up to Nadia's office, knocking on the door. Nadia waved her in. "What is it, Chloe?"

"I need to talk to you, Nadia. It's important" Chloe replied, laying the folder she was carrying on Nadia's desk and sitting down.

"What's this?" Nadia asked, picking up the folder and opening it.

"My letter of resignation" Chloe said quietly.

"You're resigning your position?" Nadia asked, almost incredulously. "Chloe, I need you here. You're the best analyst we have. This office is not in good shape right now. If you leave, it could make things worse."

"I'm not leaving for another few weeks" Chloe told her. "I'll stay long enough to train my replacement. But this is something that I have to do for me."

"Tell me what I can do to change your mind. I'll bump up your security clearance, give you a pay raise, anything you want."

"I've already made up my mind, Nadia. Nothing you offer is going to change it" Chloe said.

"Is it because of what happened today? Do you want a few days off? I can bring some people from Division to cover for you" Nadia offered.

"It's more than that. Nadia, I've been working in this office for 7 years. I've been arrested 3 times, hunted by hitmen, not to mention I had to watch one of my best friends die right in front of me, and I couldn't do a thing to save him. I've been wanting to leave for a while, but I put it off after the bombings started. Today was the last straw, though. I'm burned out. I need to do something different with my life. I don't want to wake up every day wondering if I'll survive to see the next day."

Chloe sank back in her chair and looked wearily at Nadia. _Please don't turn me down, Nadia. I need this._

Nadia looked at her, then picked up her pen and signed Chloe's letter of resignation. "I really hate to lose you, Chloe, but I guess there's nothing I can say to convince you to stay."

Chloe stood up and shook Nadia's hand. She turned to leave, but was stopped by a hand on her arm. "There's something else, isn't there?" Nadia asked.

_I guess she should know_. "Don't tell anyone, but I'm pregnant. That's why I collapsed earlier. I just found out today. That was the final thing that convinced me to leave."

Nadia smiled and gave her a quick hug. "Don't worry, Chloe. I won't say a word. Now go home and get some rest. I expect you in at 1800 tomorrow night."

"Thanks" Chloe replied and walked out, stopping only briefly to shut down her station and collect her things. The fatigue of the day had returned full force and Chloe's only thought was collapsing on her bed and sleeping for a few days. Morris ran up to her as she was leaving. "Ready to go, sweetheart?"

"Yeah. Let's go home."

2424242424

Chloe was woken up by the insistent ringing of her phone a few hours later. _What now? _She grabbed her phone wearily. "What?" she snapped.

"Chloe?"

Chloe jolted out of her stupor immediately. Shooting a look at Morris, who was fast asleep, she walked out of the bedroom quietly and ducked outside. "Jack?" she replied quietly.

"Yeah, it's me. Listen, Chloe- I'm sorry I disappeared without talking to you first. I just wanted to thank you for yesterday. I know you risked a lot to help me, not just getting the blueprints for the nuke, but for trying to keep me from being killed by Fayed. You were the only person who cared whether I lived or died, even when I was willing to be sacrificed" Jack told her.

"Jack, you don't need to thank me" Chloe said. "I did it because you didn't deserve to be sacrificed to a terrorist, not after everything you've done."

"I know." Jack went silent for a few minutes and all Chloe could hear was his steady breathing. "Chloe, I- I don't know what I'm going to do with my life now, but whatever it is, it has to be away from the government, away from CTU."

"I know how you feel, Jack. I need to get away from CTU as well. That place has caused me nothing but grief. I'm leaving, too. Now that I'm pregnant, I want to be able to give my child a good life, not surround it with death and misery." Chloe shut up quickly. _He doesn't need to know I'm pregnant. I'm sure he doesn't care._

"You're pregnant?" Jack sounded surprised. "Well, that's great! Congratulations, Chloe. You deserve it."

"Thanks, Jack."

"Listen, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call me. You have my number. Call it anytime" Jack said.

"I will. Goodbye, Jack."

"Goodbye, Chloe."

Chloe hung up and leaned against the wall of her apartment. _I'm definitely never going to see him again this time. We're both out of the game now. But at least he's free. Free from China, the government, everything. That's all I can ask for._

2424242424

Chloe walked in to the house she and Morris had bought and sank down of the couch. She was exhausted, but very excited. The interview at Kabor Technologies had gone very well and Chloe had been offered the position as vice-president of programming and logistics. _It might not be the most exciting job in the world, but at least there's no chance of dying there. I've had enough of that for one lifetime._

She absently touched her stomach, thinking of the child that was growing inside her. _This child is our future. He or she deserves a better life than what we had._

The phone rang and Chloe wearily got up to answer. "O'Brian residence."

"Chloe?"

Chloe froze. _No way. _"Tyler?"

"Yeah, it's me. Chloe, please don't hang up the phone. I need to talk to you."

Chloe scowled. "I have nothing to say to you, Tyler."

"Look, Chloe, just please hear me out" Tyler said. "I know you're still angry with me, but-"

"But nothing" Chloe interrupted. "After what you did to Jason, there's nothing to talk about. We haven't seen each other in 20 years, and now you want to talk? Well, I don't want to hear it."

"Chloe, I'm begging you. Please. Let me come see you. There are some things I need to tell you."

_What the hell does she want? _"Fine. But you're not coming here. Come to Alvin's Diner on Korton Rd. We'll talk there." Chloe hung up, her good mood gone. She grabbed her jacket and walked out of the house, leaving a note for Morris. _Why is she contacting me now? What could be so important? Whatever, I'll hear what she has to say, then I'll never have to see her again._

2424242424

"Wake up, you slag!" Chloe was snapped awake by a stinging slap across her face. She tried to move, but found herself restrained on a gurney, the metal restraints pressing painfully on her still shattered legs. She had been stripped of her clothes and she shivered in the cold air.

"It's been a while, O'Brian" Chloe stiffened as she recognized the voice immediately. She turned her head to see Miles Papazian standing there, smirking. "Miles?"

"Of course" he answered smugly.

Chloe slowly put the pieces together. "It was you. You're the one who told Burke about me. You're the one who gave him the hard drive. But how did you-"

"Know about it? I was involved with the project myself. I found out about the hard drive and stole it years ago. It took a lot of work to corrupt the files so my involvement would never be discovered. I tried to find out who had programmed that hard drive so I could get into it, but I didn't have the right clearance. So I stored it away, waiting for the right time. All those years I spent slowly climbing the ladder, all of it was to get access to those files."

"When Homeland took over CTU, I checked your file and found out that you were the one who was responsible for creating that hard drive. You can't imagine how thrilled I was that I had found what I was looking for. However, I knew that you would never willingly give me what I needed, no matter what, so I tried to figure out how to force you to do it. Had you not escaped from CTU, I would have gotten you to do it then."

"When I destroyed that recording, and Logan offered me a position in his administration, I thought I didn't need that hard drive anymore. With this new job, I could have access to much more current information. But then you had to ruin everything. Because of you, O'Brian, I not only lost my job, but I went to prison. My reputation was destroyed. All those years I spent, wasted. Everything I had worked to achieve was gone, thanks to you. All that kept me going those long months in prison was getting out and getting revenge for what you took from me."

Chloe was stunned by his outburst, but she quickly recovered. "You brought it on yourself, Miles. You picked the wrong side."

"Shut up!" Miles snapped, driving an elbow into her stomach. Chloe gasped as the air was driven forcefully from her lungs and she coughed violently gasping for air. "This was never about that hard drive, was it?" she choked out. "It was just an excuse so you could have me kidnapped and tortured. You knew I'd never give it up. You only wanted to see me suffer. That information was always secondary to me being tortured."

"Yes. And who better for the job than someone who specialized in torture? Besides, I don't care about that hard drive anymore. It's gone. The pain you feel is the only thing I care about now." He picked up a baseball bat and smashed it down on Chloe's arm, breaking it. Chloe screamed loudly.

"Now I have you back, and you won't be rescued this time."


	21. Finish the job

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 21

Jack sprinted through the hospital corridors, until he reached the surveillance station at the other end of the building. The guard inside was only partially focused on the monitors. Jack quietly picked the lock and opened the door, sneaking up on the oblivious guard and placing his gun to the guard's head, while slipping his hand over his mouth. "You try to call for help, and I will kill you, you understand?" Jack hissed.

The frightened guard nodded and Jack let him go, while keeping his weapon trained on the other man.

"What do you want?" the guard asked.

"A woman was kidnapped from this hospital less than an hour ago" Jack told him. "I need for you to bring up the surveillance tapes from that time so I can figure out where they took her."

"Will you let me go once I do that?"

"Yes, I will. I don't want to hurt you, I just need to find her as quickly as possible."

The guard turned around and quickly began running through the archived tapes. "How long ago did you say it was?"

Jack glanced at his watch. "About 45 minutes ago. Bring up all tapes from then."

"There are over 700 cameras in this hospital, sir. It would take at least 2 hours to go through them all."

_Dammit. _"Bring up the exterior cameras. We might be able to pick something up."

The guard quickly brought them up and began running the footage back. Jack began to grow frustrated as each camera they checked produced nothing. _Chloe, please hold on. I'm coming for you. He's not getting away with this_. He was jerked out of his thoughts as he caught an image on the monitor. "Wait a minute. Back up. Check the camera on the SE entrance again."

The guard replayed the footage and Jack watched as 3 men carried an unconscious woman to a large van and put her in, driving off quickly. "Can you get a close-up of that image?"

The tape was stopped and the guard slowly zoomed in on the image, then cleaned it up. Jack watched as the image slowly revealed itself. _There you are, Chloe. _"I need a visual of that van's license plate."

"I can't get it from this angle. Let me try Camera 23." The picture changed and the license plate was brought up. "Got it. 4-Charlie-Foxtrot-Sigma-9-2-5."

"I need you to call local police, have them put out an APB on that vehicle" Jack told him. "Tell them once they ID the vehicle, they are not to engage the hostiles."

"I'll take care of it." The guard contacted the local precinct and Jack called Chase. "Chase, we have a lead. We got a license plate on the vehicle the men who kidnapped Chloe were driving. You still have your frequency scanner?"

"Yeah. I'll set it to the police frequency. The second they find it, we'll get them."

"I'll meet you at your car." Jack hung up, apologized to the guard, then ran out of the station, contacting both Bill and Tyler, telling them to meet him at Chase's car.

2424242424

"Dispatch, this is Unit 21. We have a possible ID on the vehicle- license plate 4-Charlie-Foxtrot-Sigma-9-2-5."

"Copy, 21. What's your location?"

"The old manufacturing warehouse 2 miles off the 10. Requesting backup immediately."

"Backup is on its way. Do not engage, set up a 10-block perimeter."

"Copy."

"Finally" Tyler said. They had been traveling for 10 minutes, waiting impatiently for any sightings of the vehicle. "How far out are we?"

"About 5 minutes" Chase replied and stepped on the gas. Jack said nothing, but sat back and grabbed his weapon. _I'm going to finish the job this time. And no one will ever hurt you again, Chloe._

2424242424

Chase pulled into the vacant lot a block away from the warehouse and got out, the others right behind. "How are we going to do this?"

"We don't have the element of surprise this time" Tyler said. "Nor do we have the cover of night. But we can't just go in blasting. Chase, you and Bill will create a diversion and lure the sentries away from the entrance, while Jack and I sneak in and get Chloe out."

"All right. Let's move" Jack said. The 4 split up and Jack and Tyler stayed hidden, waiting for the sentries to move. They didn't have to wait long as one of the sentries was taken out and the other 2 quickly took off into the woods. Tyler started to get up, but was pulled down by Jack, who watched the entrance for a minute, then hissed "Go".

Jack quickly split off from Tyler once they were inside and headed in the opposite direction, his senses on high alert. He froze as he heard a scream and his heart skipped a beat as he realized it was Chloe. He turned around and sprinted off in the direction Tyler had gone, picking up the pace when he heard her scream again. _Chloe, I'm coming. Hold on._

He skidded to a stop outside one of the rooms and saw Miles standing over a restrained Chloe, holding a bat over his head, preparing to strike her again. Jack felt a rage boil up inside him that he had not felt since he had been told that Kim was dead, and he blindly launched himself at Miles, taking the other man by surprise. Jack viciously pummeled Miles, peppering him with merciless blows, until Miles lay on the floor, weakly trying to defend himself. Jack pointed his weapon at the defenseless man. "You scumbag" Jack growled angrily.

Miles coughed a few times and attempted to stand up, but Jack forced him down. "I'm going to kill you."

"Jack, no!" Jack looked away to see Tyler running in. "You can't kill him, Jack."

"Why not? He should pay for what he did to Chloe."

"He will" Tyler said. "He'll be in prison for the rest of his life. He's not going to hurt Chloe ever again."

Jack looked back at Miles. "Tyler, take Chloe and get her out of here. I've got some business left."

"What are you going to do?"

"I give you my word, Tyler. I'm not going to kill him" Jack promised. "But I'll make sure he never hurts Chloe again."

Tyler looked at Jack, then busted the restraints holding Chloe and helped her sit up. "Wait a minute" Chloe said. "Bring him here." Jack hauled Miles up and dragged him over to Chloe. Chloe stared at him with unmasked hatred, then suddenly punched him with her unbroken arm. "You are so fortunate that's all I can do to you, Miles. Jack, you do what you have to."

Jack nodded, then motioned for Tyler to take Chloe out, taking off his jacket and covering her with it. Once they had left, Jack dragged Miles out of the room and down to the lowest level of the warehouse, tying his arms over his head and stripping his shirt off, stopping as he saw the faint scars on the other man's arms. "Now it's your turn."

2424242424

Jack landed a punch on his captive's stomach and watched with grim satisfaction as Miles gasped violently. He had been working on him for 2 hours and the rage he had felt earlier still flowed through him. "You deserve this, Miles. You picked the wrong woman to mess with this time."

"Stop" Miles gasped weakly.

"Stop. After everything you did to Chloe? You are responsible for everything that happened to her. You put her through 2 years of hell, and for what? To get some outdated information?" Jack looked at him. "Or was that only an excuse? You never really cared about that information, did you? Your only concern was making Chloe suffer." He grabbed Miles' hand and proceeded to break his fingers. Miles groaned in pain. "Why? Because you lost a job?"

"I'm not telling you anything, Bauer."

Jack brought his weapon up to Miles' neck. "I could kill you right now. No one would ever find you. You'll be forgotten. It's more than you deserve." He pulled the hammer back and held it there._ He deserves it. I kill him, and he'll never hurt Chloe again. We'll finally be free. But I gave my word that I wouldn't._

Jack lowered his weapon. "No. I won't taint my hands with your blood." He cut Miles down and dropped him to the floor. Grabbing a crowbar, he smashed both of Miles' legs, then shattered his arms, binding them behind his back and gagging him. He hauled the man up and dragged him to a small room hidden in the wall, throwing him inside and securing him to the back wall. Jack turned to leave, but not before kicking him below the belt. He locked the door behind him and walked out of the warehouse, where Tyler was waiting.

"He's not dead. But I'm sure right now he wishes he was" Jack replied before Tyler could ask. "Let's take Chloe back to the hospital. It's over."


	22. I hate this place

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 22

"I brought you something to eat, Chloe" Jack said as he came into Chloe's room, carrying a sack of sandwiches he had picked up from the deli 3 blocks away from the hospital. He knew Chloe hated the food they served at the hospital, so he had made it a habit to get her something different every chance he could. She wouldn't survive on just hospital food, not after she practically starved to death in that prison.

Chloe looked up as he came in and swung the lap desk she used over her lap. Jack set the bag down and she reached in, clumsily tearing off the wrapper with her free arm and digging in quickly, sighing with relief. "Thanks, Jack. I would have had to suffer what this place has the audacity to call meatloaf today if you hadn't have gotten me this."

"Don't mention it, Chloe. I know you hate the food in this place."

"I hate this place, period" Chloe snapped. "I hate having to ask for help all the time. I can't even get out of bed without someone helping me. I hate not being able to take a shower, or even being able to use the bathroom on my own. I just want to go home- if I still have one, that is."

"Chloe, I know you want to get out of here, but you aren't leaving until you recover" Jack said sternly

"I know. Besides, even if I gain back the weight I lost in that prison, I'll still be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. You heard what the doctors said. There's only a 20 chance I'll ever be able to use my legs again." Chloe paused and looked at her legs. _Damn you, Miles. I hope you're rotting in hell. _"That doesn't mean I'm going to give up, though. You and Tyler didn't give up on me when I wanted to die, and I'm not giving up, either." She lay back down on the bed. "I just want to get this cast off so I don't have to do everything one-handed."

"It's only been 2 weeks, Chloe. You have another 3 months before it comes off."

Chloe didn't respond, but closed her eyes and fell asleep. "I'm going to take a nap."

"All right. You get some rest. We'll talk more when you wake up" Jack said softly.

2424242424

Chloe woke up an hour later and scowled, looking over at Jack, who was reading quietly. "Bring me my chair, Jack, and help me into the bathroom. Please. I need to use it."

"Absolutely not" Jack said. "The doctor said you can't leave that bed until your cast comes off. You won't be able to get in and out of your wheelchair without injuring your legs, Chloe, and you know that."

"Come on, Jack. I haven't left this bed in 2 weeks." Chloe looked up to see Tyler walking in. "Tyler, talk to him."

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I need to use the bathroom, and Jack won't help me" Chloe whined, pouting.

"You are not leaving that bed until you can use both arms, Chloe" Jack told her in his don't-argue tone.

Chloe looked pleadingly at Tyler, who felt her resistance disappear. "Come on, Jack. She hasn't left that bed in 2 weeks" Tyler said. "It's not going to hurt one time."

Jack sighed audibly. "Fine. Come on, Tyler, help me." Jack helped Chloe sit up and settled her down gently in her wheelchair. _Chloe doesn't deserve any of this. Why did Miles want to make her suffer like that? What did she do to him to make him hate her so much?_

Tyler wheeled her into the bathroom and shut the door behind her, ostensibly so Chloe could have some privacy from Jack for a few minutes. Jack waited anxiously until both came out and he helped Chloe back into bed, taking great care not to jostle her legs. "This is the last time, Chloe. I mean it. You are not leaving that bed until the doctor says you can."

"Fine" Chloe scowled and turned away, her mind working on how to convince Jack to give in next time in case Tyler wasn't there to back her up. _This just sucks. Well, first chance I get to get out of bed, I'm going to take._

"Sorry, Jack, but I just couldn't say no" Tyler said quietly. "She's been doing so well the last few weeks, and after she nearly gave up... I just don't want her to go back to that."

"You think I like saying no?" Jack snapped. "I would love to let her get out of that bed, but if I do, and something were to happen, it would be my fault. I'm just doing what the doctor says so she gets out of here sooner. I need you to do the same."

Tyler recoiled a little, but she quickly rebounded. "Okay, Jack, I promise. No more trips out of bed."

"Good."

2424242424

Tyler was sitting later with Chloe, who was absently rubbing her cast. "Chloe, there's something that's been bothering me" she said.

"What?"

"Why did that guy Miles want to have you kidnapped and tortured so badly? I'd never heard of him until a couple of weeks ago, but judging from what you and Jack have told me, you two hated each other. What did you do to him that would drive him to do what he did?"

_Dammit. I guess I can't put it off any longer. _"Did Jack tell you what happened between me and Miles?"

"Only that he was involved in the scheme that Charles Logan masterminded. That he erased some evidence against Logan and was given some important position in his administration because of that" Tyler replied.

"Yeah. That's true. But that's not all." Chloe sighed. "After Logan resigned from office and Gardner took over, there was a massive investigation into Logan's dealings. Because I was the one who turned in the evidence against Logan, I was asked to take part in the investigation. Believe me, I didn't want to. I wanted to let someone else deal with cleaning up the corruption, but it was either help them, or lose my job and go to prison for all the protocols I broke that day."

"I would have gladly gone to prison, but I needed my job, and the access to CTU resources, to look for Jack, so I agreed to help. After a month of nothing, I stumbled onto an old file detailing some of Miles' work he had done on the side. I looked deeper and found that he had been involved in a lot of illegal activities- bribes he had taken while he was at Homeland, programming jobs for corrupt defence contractors, selling classified information to different business interests, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. When I revealed what I had found, he was arrested and sent to prison."

"I had wanted to keep him from finding out that I was the one who busted him, but it came out in the trial. When he was being sentenced, he looked right at me and swore he'd pay me back one day. I guess he has." Chloe lay down and looked away, her eyes filling with tears. "Maybe I do deserve this. Maybe I don't deserve to ever walk again."

"That's enough!" Jack barked, who had walked in while Chloe was telling Tyler everything. "Chloe, listen to me. You do not deserve to be suffering like this. You did nothing wrong. Now we are going to help you get through this. I give you my word, Chloe. I'm not giving up. You will walk again, and you will get out of here one day. You told me you wouldn't give up, either. I have faith in you. Have some in yourself."

Chloe looked back at him. _Maybe he's right. I'm being too hard on myself. It's just so frustrating sometimes. _"Thanks, Jack" she said, wiping away the unshed tears. "I'm sorry. I just get so frustrated. Every time I take one step forward, I end up taking two backwards. Just when I'm getting stronger, I get kidnapped again, and I get my arm broken. I'm lucky you guys found me much sooner this time."

"I know you're frustrated, Chloe, but you're going to get past this, and you're going to go live your life free of the pain and anguish those bastards inflicted on you" Tyler said, gently rubbing Chloe's arm. Chloe gave her a slight smile, then frowned as 2 nurses came into the room. "It's time for your bath, Chloe."

"Yippee" Chloe said unenthusiastically as they shoved Jack out of the room and drew the curtain around her bed. Jack stood outside and waited for Chloe to get done. _Chloe, you're going to be all right. Miles won't ever hurt you again. No one will. I'll die before I let another person lay a hand on you like that._

2424242424

"You hungry, Chloe?" Chase asked as Chloe boredly flipped through the channels of the TV Chase had given her.

"Starving, but you want to eat that crap, Chase? Honestly, how on earth do they get away with calling it food?" Chloe suddenly winced as her leg flared painfully. She reached for the morphine pump, only to find it not working. _Dammit, not now._ She frantically pressed the button, but nothing was coming out. The pain in her leg was growing and Chloe began to panic. "Come on, work!" The pain soon reached almost unbearable levels and Chloe was shaking. She continued to press the button, finally sighing with relief as the long awaited drug pumped into her system, relieving her pain quickly. Chloe lay down, her head throbbing from the pain.

"It's all right, Chloe" Chase said softly. He carefully rubbed some lotion on her legs to keep them from drying out, taking extra care not to bump them in any way.

"Damn, that hurt. I haven't felt that much pain since..."

"Since your imprisonment" Chase finished for her.

Chloe nodded, then looked away. Chase looked at the TV for a few minutes, then looked at Chloe, who was trying not to cry. Chase put his hand on her shoulder. "If you need to cry, Chloe, then go right ahead."

"No, Chase. I appreciate the sentiment, but I can't keep losing it with every little pain I feel. If I had done that in that prison, I would never have survived."

"What do you mean?" Chase asked, confused.

"There was one night, about 3 months after I had arrived, when I was woken up in the middle of the night and dragged to the middle of the floor by some of the guards. They laid me on the floor and tied my hands to a jagged grate on the floor, then they... they..."

Chloe stopped, and Chase quickly embraced her. "You don't need to tell me if you don't want to, Chloe."

"No" Chloe told him. "I have to do this, for me." She took a deep breath and continued. "They raped me. Each one got their turn to 'have some fun with the filthy slag'. Their words. Once each one had had their turn, they cuffed my hands behind my back, shackled my feet under me, then put a collar around my neck and chained it to the grate. I was completely immobilized, bent over. I couldn't stand up, because the chain was too short, and I couldn't lay down, because that grate would have shredded my face open, not to mention they would beat me if I did. I spent days like that, being freed only for the guards to have their 'fun'. I was forced to eat my daily meal, if you can call soupy gruel and room temperature water a meal, like a dog."

"I knew, though, that they wanted me to cry, to break down, to show weakness. I couldn't. So I didn't. I didn't cry for over a year, until I spent time in total isolation. Then I was free to cry because I knew they couldn't see me." Chloe stopped talking and looked down, the weight of carrying that part of her imprisonment lifted, if only for a few moments.

Chase merely looked at her, totally stunned by her confession. _She survived that and didn't break. I knew you were tough, Chloe, but I didn't realize how tough you really were. _He stood up awkwardly. "I know that had to be hard for you to tell me, Chloe, and I promise, I won't tell anyone, not even Jack."

"Thanks, Chase." Chloe leaned back on the bed and closed her eyes, falling fast asleep. _Even though I'm still a wreck, I'm lucky to have friends like you, Chase. I will get through this._


	23. Blood money

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 23

"Hey, Tom" Jack said to the security guard standing outside Chloe's room.

"Good morning, Jack" the burly guard replied, cuffing him lightly on the shoulder.

"Is Lou in there?" Jack asked, referring to Tom's partner.

"Yeah. Tyler had to leave, so she asked Lou to keep Chloe company until you came back."

"Good. I don't want Chloe left alone if I can't be here" Jack told him. Ever since Chloe had been abducted from the hospital, Jack had asked that 2 guards be placed outside Chloe's room at all times, one of which was to be in the room if none of Chloe's friends were there. _I know Chloe hates not having even a moment alone, but I'm not taking any chances._

"We won't let anything happen to her, Jack. I promise" Tom said. Both of them had grown fond of the often-irritable woman, their admiration for her growing when they had been told of her capture and lengthy imprisonment.

"Thanks, Tom." Jack walked in to Chloe's room, where she was chatting with the guard in her room. "Lou."

"Hey, Jack" Lou replied, standing up and greeting him. "We were just talking. Well, she was complaining about the food again."

"You try eating this junk" Chloe grumbled, gesturing to her half-eaten breakfast. "How am I supposed to gain any weight back if they won't give me anything remotely edible?"

Jack simply shrugged. He was used to Chloe's complaints about the food by this time, and had taken precautions, having stuff brought to her whenever he could.

"Since you're here, Jack, I'll go wait outside, give Tom a break."

"All right. Thanks, Lou."

The guard walked out and Jack sat down next to Chloe, who had gone back to picking miserably through her breakfast. _I don't want Jack to have to keep bringing me stuff, so I guess I better eat this crap. _She soon finished up, making a disgusted face and washing it down with some water. She looked at Jack blankly. "You know the worst thing about this place? Other than the food? It's the sheer boredom. I know you guys are doing what you can, but there's only so many times you can read the same stuff before it's not entertaining anymore. I miss my laptop."

"Chloe, I know you're getting bored, but I told you you can't have it until you get out of here. Besides, you can't type with one arm."

"I know. All I can do is sleep. And eat. And listen to Chase tell the same crappy jokes he's been telling for years. What I wouldn't give for a few hours of just me and my laptop, just like before." Chloe looked down, then looked at Jack. "Jack?"

"What is it, Chloe?"

"When you were in China, did you ever think that you were going to die there? That everyone had given up on you?" she asked.

Jack just looked down, unable to answer right away, his mind flashing back to his own imprisonment.

"You don't have to answer that if you don't want to" Chloe said hastily. _Way to go, O'Brian. You just had to remind him of that. Why do I have to put my foot in my mouth all the time?_

"It's all right, Chloe. I haven't really been able to talk about what happened to me in China because no one around me would have understood what I went through all those months. They wouldn't have known about the isolation, the hopelessness, the feelings of despair, the battle to survive not day-to-day, but minute-to-minute. But you do now. I wish you didn't, but I can't change that."

"Yes, I did believe that I was going to spend the rest of my life, however short it might be, in that prison. I knew that even if the government found out where I was, they wouldn't lift a finger to help me. To them, I was expendable. And I also knew that anyone else who wanted to find me probably wouldn't have the resources to get me out. It was the worst feeling I could imagine, the feeling that I was doomed to die, alone and forgotten."

"The only thing that kept me going was my desire not to let those bastards kill me. That, and... and, I knew that there was one person who cared about me, regardless of who I really was, or what fronts I put up, and had the determination to keep searching for me, no matter what anyone told her. I always knew, somehow, that if this person found me, they would do whatever they had to to try and free me from that hell, even if they couldn't do it on their own."

Chloe opened her mouth to speak, but Jack held up a hand. "I know what you're thinking, Chloe. You think I'm talking about Audrey. I'm not. I knew that Audrey might have loved me once, but the Jack Bauer she loved wasn't the real me. It was a front I put up after I went to DC to hide who I really was. Audrey saw who I really was the day I came back to CTU, and it repulsed her. She hated the real me."

"When I came out of hiding, I hadn't expected to run into Audrey again. My only concern at first was getting to you. You were being hunted because of me, and all I cared about was saving you, making sure you survived. Once you were safe, I was going to disappear again. When I ran into her back in CTU, she said she had forgiven me, and that she loved me, but I'm still not sure if she really cared about me, or if her feelings were out of shock that I was still alive."

"No, Chloe, it's not Audrey I'm talking about. It's you. I knew you wouldn't abandon me, Chloe. You had never abandoned me before. Even when the things I asked you to do would have cost you your job, and probably sent you to prison if I were ever wrong, you still did them anyway, without any thought of what would happen to you, simply because you believed that I was doing the right thing."

"When you told me that Audrey was the one who found me, and I was led to believe that you had given up on me, I was so angry. Angry that you had given up on me like everyone else, angry that the woman I had loved at one time was dead, because she still cared about me, just... so angry. I went to see you 2 months after you had been taken, to find out why you had given up on me, and to say goodbye for the last time. You hadn't called me since our talk the afternoon after I came back from China, and I knew then that I really needed to close the book on our dealings. But when I figured out you had been kidnapped, my only thought was once again of finding you, even though I still believed you had abandoned me in China, simply because I didn't want anyone to suffer what I went through."

"When Morris told me of all your efforts to find me, how you made yourself sick so many times working around the clock searching for me, how Audrey had only gone to China because you begged her to, I was... relieved. Relieved that I was right, that you had stuck by me after all this time. Once again, you had risked everything for me."

Jack stopped talking, looking down at the floor, unable to meet Chloe's eyes. _Great. She didn't need to hear about all that._

Chloe, for her part, had said nothing, merely looking at her hands while he had poured his heart out to her. _I knew he trusted me, but I never realized how much. He kept silent for 20 months mostly because he believed that I would find him. And I failed. I couldn't live up to that trust. I did give up. _"I did give up, Jack" she said quietly.

Jack's head shot up and he was looking straight at her in shock. "What?"

"It was after we had been told Audrey was dead. I was a wreck, Jack. I had just gotten out of the hospital for the second time since I started looking for you. When we found out about Audrey's death, I spent so much time just blaming myself for her death, for failing to free you, for a lot of things. Morris convinced me that you were never coming back and that I should live my life, and not worry about you. I was so confused at the time. So I stopped looking for you. I stopped all my activities that involved you in any way and I tried to live my life like a normal person. I even dated Milo a couple of times when Morris and I weren't together."

"But I found that as hard as I tried to put you in the past, I couldn't. There was always this feeling of guilt that I was trying to enjoy myself while you were being tortured. It wouldn't leave me alone, no matter what I did. It was clear that I shouldn't have stopped trying to help you. So I resumed my search to find a way to free you from that prison. And then, when I found out you were coming back, only to be handed over to a terrorist, I was upset, but I was angry, too. Everyone else had left you to rot, even after you saved this country more times than anyone else, only to get you out so they could offer you up as a sacrificial lamb. When I tried to find out where you were being taken, I got busted and almost fired. It would have been worth losing my job, though, if it meant you could be rescued from Fayed."

Jack was unable to speak. _How long was she carrying that burden? _He finally found his voice. "Chloe, why did you lie to me when I asked you about Audrey? You led me to believe that she was the only one who cared about me. Why?"

"Because I saw how upset you were over her death, Jack. I had decided when she died that everyone had to believe she went there on her own, and I had nothing to do with it. I could have gone to prison, Jack. How would I be able to help you then? I thought you didn't care about me, that you only came to me because I could help you with what you needed. I didn't want you to hate me for getting the woman you loved killed. But I guess I failed. You know the truth now. If you want to leave when Bill comes back into town, then go ahead. I won't blame you if you do."

"I told you, Chloe, I'm not leaving you" Jack replied. "It took a lot of courage for you to tell me the truth. And there's no way I'd let you go through this without me around to help you." He grabbed her free hand and kissed it. "No matter what happens, I'm going to be here for you."

"Thanks, Jack." Chloe squeezed his hand softly. Both sat there, holding hands, knowing something had changed, and neither one wanting that moment to end.

"Excuse me, Chloe?" Both looked up to see Tom coming in.

"What is it, Tom?" Jack asked.

"It's time for your surgery. I'm going to escort you there."

The orderly came in behind Tom and gingerly helped her onto a gurney, wheeling it out of the room. Jack walked behind Chloe, his thoughts turning toward what Chloe had told him. Chloe, thank you. For telling me the truth. You helped me, now it's my turn to help you. He watched as Chloe was wheeled into the OR, but he stayed behind, unable to follow.

Tyler joined him an hour later. "I'm really sorry I couldn't be here sooner, Jack, but I had business to take care of that couldn't be put off any longer."

"It's all right, Tyler. You're here now" Jack told her.

"How was she?"

"Tired of being here." Jack stopped as a thought came to him. "How is all this being paid for? She doesn't have any insurance, and this place is expensive. I tried to find out when she never got billed after 3 months, only to be told it was being taken care of by an anonymous source. Neither Chase or Morris have that kind of money. That leaves you, Tyler."

Tyler looked away for a few minutes, unable to meet Jack's piercing gaze. _I guess he should know. _"You can't say a word to Chloe, or anyone else, Jack. This has to stay between the two of us. 2 years before I went to Turkey, our parents died. I was in Austria at the time, so I couldn't even be at the funeral. When I came back to the US, I found out that they had left me the business they owned. I wanted nothing to do with them, or their company, so I sold it. I had planned on using that money to live on after I retired from the CIA, but, plans change. I left instructions that if anything ever happened to me, Chloe was to have the money. Even though we hated each other at the time, she was still my sister. That, plus some funds I had picked up during a few missions, is what's covering this. That's what I was taking care of before."

"Tyler-" Jack began to speak, but was quickly silenced.

"Look, I never claimed to be a Scout like you are, Jack. I hated having to take those funds, but for Chloe, there's nothing I won't do. If using blood money means she has a chance to walk again, then that's what I'm going to do. She deserves a chance at living her life."

"I don't like it, Tyler, but you're right. Chloe deserves that chance. Don't worry, I won't tell her" Jack promised, sitting down to wait for Chloe to get out of surgery, offering up a prayer to whatever force was out there that it would go well.


	24. That's an order

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 24

Chloe was sitting at her cubicle, working rapidly on the file she had been given. She had only started her new job a month ago and was still somewhat in her desperate-to-impress mode. She quickly finished it up, sending it to her outbox, then turning to the next one with a sigh. _When that Chappelle guy told me about working for CTU, he failed to mention the hours of boring paperwork that would happen when we didn't need to be saving the world. If I ever see him again, I'll wring his neck_. She leaned back from her screen and rubbed her eyes.

"Hey! Anderson!" Chloe looked up as Alex Thomas came over, his 2 goons following right behind. _What does he want now?_

"What do you want, Thomas?" Chloe snapped.

"I was wondering if you'd made up your mind yet, Anderson."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Thomas? I'm not going out with you. Even if we weren't working together, I don't date mouth-breathing Neanderthals like you, even ones that can unscramble junk code in less than a minute."

Alex clutched his heart in mock hurt. "Oooh, the mouse has bite after all! That one hurt." He put his hand on the arm of her chair. "Seriously, Anderson, I don't see why we can't get together and have some fun later."

Chloe glared at him. "You and I have very different ideas of the word 'fun', Thomas. Now I'm going to say this one more time, slowly, so you get it through that thick skull of yours: I'm not interested." She yanked his hand off her chair and turned back to her screen, only to find her chair being yanked back around by force.

"I don't think you quite get it, Anderson" Alex hissed dangerously. "You seem to think you have a choice in the matter. Well, you don't. So, date me, or..." He motioned to his goons. "My associates will have to 'persuade' you to date me, you understand?"

"What's going on?" A voice sounded behind them. Chloe looked past Alex to see a young man with a recently shaved head walking towards them. Alex hastily let go and turned to meet the newcomer. "Chase? What are you doing here? I thought you weren't back until next week."

"You thought wrong" Chase replied. "Now what's going on?"

"Ms. Anderson and I were having a little chat about a proposition I thought she might be interested in when you interrupted" Alex said.

"Is this true?" Chase asked Chloe.

Chloe looked at Alex, then back at Chase. "Yeah. It's true."

"Well, there's still work to be done, so get back to it."

Alex and his goons walked back to their cubicles, Alex shooting a smirk at Chloe, mouthing a few choice words at her. Chloe shivered a little, then turned to Chase. "Thanks."

"Is everything all right?" Chase asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine." _I'm not going to run to the bosses for every little issue that comes up. I can handle this myself._

"Don't let Alex get to you. He's just a jerk. If he bothers you again, come talk to me, and I'll take care of it." Chase held out his hand. "I don't think we've been introduced. Chase Edmunds."

"Chloe Anderson." Chloe shook his hand.

"Good to finally meet you, Chloe." Chase's phone beeped. "I have to get back to work. I'll see you around." He turned and walked away. Chloe quickly turned back to her screen, and got back to work as well, her thoughts on Chase. _I think I just made a friend. And it only took a month this time. I guess I'm getting better at this friend thing._

2424242424

Chloe walked out of the building a week later, exhausted. Night time had settled in, and the car lot was almost deserted. _Not only is this job boring, it's long. All I want to do is go home, and crash. At least I have tomorrow off._ She reached her car, and was fumbling with her purse, when she was grabbed from behind, and a dirty hand was placed over her mouth. Chloe struggled against the strong grip, trying everything she could to get free. "You shouldn't have said no, Anderson. You brought this on yourself" a voice hissed in her ear. Chloe froze instantly._ He wouldn't._

Alex grinned and he and his 2 goons dragged Chloe behind her car and forced her on the ground. "Hold her down. She's a feisty one." One of the goons stuffed a gag in her mouth and pinned her to the ground, while the other cut off her skirt and underwear. "She's all yours, man."

"Good." Alex knelt down and began to assault his helpless captive. Chloe screamed at the top of her voice, but her cries were muffled. _Help me, someone, please! _She suddenly felt the hands holding her down lift quickly as the goons holding Chloe were forcibly lifted off her and tossed to the side. Alex stood up, only to get tossed aside as well. Chloe looked up to see Chase laying into Alex viciously, until he was a bloody mess.

"You bastard" Chase growled, hitting Alex with one last kick. He quickly secured the 3 banged-up goons and grabbed his cell. "This is Chase Edmunds. I have 3 men that need to be taken into custody immediately. They're in the NE parking lot." He hung up and turned to Chloe, who was crying soundly. Chase took the gag out of her mouth and gently picked her up, carrying her inside the back entrance of the deserted CTU and down to the Medical ward. The doctor on call quickly got to work, asking Chase to step outside while he examined Chloe for injuries.

Chloe answered all of the doctor's questions blankly, her tears having given way to anger and shame. _Just when things were going so well, this happens. All I want to do is go home and get a shower. Then I'm leaving. Maybe I can go to Boston or somewhere else._

The doctor left, being stopped briefly by Chase. Chase came in to the room and walked over to Chloe. "Hey, Chloe." Chloe didn't respond, looking away sadly.

"Chloe, listen. I know you've just been through a horrible experience. And I'm not going to ask you to relive it for me. I just wanted you to know that no one in this building will ever know what happened tonight. I'm obligated to tell Connie" Chase added hastily, referring to the Director of the unit, "but she won't say anything. I know we've only known each other for a few days, but you can trust me, Chloe. I won't say a word to anyone else."

Chloe sniffed, wiping away her tears. "Thanks, Chase. Thanks for saving me. I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything, Chloe. You think I would just stand by and let that happen?"

"No." Chloe looked at the floor. "How did you find me so quickly?"

"After your confrontation with those bastards last week, I decided to keep an eye on them. I know Alex well enough to know that he would try something stupid eventually. When I saw him and his goons following you out of the building, I followed them. I got out to the parking lot just in time to see them grab you and take you behind your car. I thought they were just going to rough you up, but obviously I was wrong. I'm sorry, Chloe. You didn't deserve to have this happen to you." He reached for her hand, only to have her recoil at his touch.

Chloe looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, Chase. I didn't mean that."

"It's all right, Chloe. And again, don't worry about this coming out. This is a military organization, which means that we're good at keeping things secret. Everything's going to be taken care of by them. The only thing you have to do is get past this." Chase wrote two numbers down on a scrap of paper. "This is my home number, and my cell. If you need anything, call me. I'm going to go catch some sleep. I'll see you later."

Chloe watched him leave regretfully._ I wish he would have stayed. I could have used some company. But I'm sure he has a wife or a girlfriend to go home to. I can't be selfish here. He saved me. If he ever needs a favor, I'll gladly do it. I owe him that much._

2424242424

Chloe returned to work a few days later, trying to ignore the stares of her coworkers. She had never missed a day of work before her attack, and being gone for so long without any explanation was a little odd to say the least. She sat down at her cubicle and quickly got to work. The day was yet another long day of data processing, but Chloe was unable to stay focused, jumping at every unusual noise around her. By lunch time, she was a wreck, snapping at everyone who tried to talk to her. Not that she didn't normally snap at people, but this time, no one was immune from her harsh tongue, not even Chase.

Chloe returned to her cubicle after lunch and settled down to work, jumping when her phone rang. "CTU, Anderson" she said nervously.

"Chloe, it's Connie. Can I see you in my office, please?"

"I'll be right there, Ms. Lawrence." _Dammit, I really don't want to do this. _She walked up to the main floor where the top analysts worked and headed up to the director's office, knocking timidly on the door. Connie beckoned her in. "Shut the door, Chloe."

Chloe shut the door behind her and stood awkwardly in front of her boss' desk, not knowing what to say. "Can I sit down?" she asked nervously.

"Of course. Please, sit."

Chloe sat down in one of the chairs and looked down at the floor, unable to look Connie in the eyes. "You wanted to see me, Ms. Lawrence?"

"Chloe, Chase told me about what happened to you. He didn't go into specifics, he just told me that Alex Thomas attacked you in the parking lot a few days ago. I know you didn't want anyone to know what happened, but since it happened on CTU grounds, he was obligated to tell me. But I won't say anything to anyone else. And I can assure you that Mr. Thomas and his 2 associates will never set foot in this building again. You won't even have to attend the trial, provided you give the prosecutors a written statement detailing what happened to you."

Chloe sank back in relief. _I'll never have to see him again. But I don't know if I can relive that so soon._

"There's something else" Connie continued, motioning to a stack of papers on her desk. "I've received 30 complaints on you this morning- people telling me you've been unusually hostile today, that you won't talk to anyone. You even sent one of your coworkers to the clinic with a broken nose after he lightly touched you on the shoulder. I know you're a hard worker, Chloe. I've been hearing nothing but good things about the work you've done since you've been here. But I have to think about the effectiveness of the entire unit, and I can't have one of my people continually sending others to Medical after innocent touches."

"A-are you firing me?" Chloe asked.

"No, of course not" Connie told her. "But I think you need to talk to someone about this." She handed Chloe a card. "We have a psychiatrist on staff. I want you to see her once a week. It won't cost you a thing. The unit will cover any costs."

Chloe scowled. "I don't need to see a psychiatrist, Ms. Lawrence. I can handle this on my own."

"I'm sure you believe you can, Chloe. But this isn't optional. It's an order. You either go see her once a week, or I will have to fire you. And I don't want to do that."

"Fine. Is there anything else you wanted to see me about?" Chloe asked shortly.

"No. You can go back to work."

Chloe left Connie's office and returned to her cubicle, lightly fingering the card she had been given. _Not again. I just got out of therapy after Jason died, now I have to go back? This sucks. Well, maybe I can convince this doctor that I'm fine, and I won't have to do this._

2424242424

Chloe slowly returned to consciousness, completely unaware of her surroundings. She blinked her eyes and turned to see the doctor giving final instructions to his assistants. He looked over at her. "Welcome back, Ms. O'Brian."

Chloe raised her free arm to her head, which was slightly throbbing. "How long was I out?"

"About 8 hours. I told you this would take a while."

"Did it work?" she asked.

"We won't know for a couple of days. But the splints we put in should alleviate some of the pain while your legs heal. You won't need as much medication." He turned to the orderly standing by. "Please take Ms. O'Brian back to her room."

Chloe was gently transferred from the operating table to a gurney, where she was wheeled slowly to her room, the ever watchful eyes of Tom on her at all times. Jack was in her room to greet her. "Hey, Chloe. How are you feeling?"

"Like crap, Jack. How do you think I'm feeling?" she asked, shooting him a scorching glare, then closing her eyes and going right back to sleep.

Jack didn't answer. He knew Chloe was just cranky, and she'd be fine once she slept it off. He settled down in the chair next to her bed and watched her sleep as he always did, gently brushing the hair off her face. _Another step in the right direction for you, Chloe. Now it's up to you._


	25. Suspicion

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 25

Jack walked into his apartment, collapsing on the bed in exhaustion. He had been up for almost 3 days keeping an eye on Chloe while she recovered from her surgery, until Tyler had caught him sleeping standing up while she was talking to Chloe and forced him to go home and sleep. Jack had refused at first, but only agreed once Tyler had promised to call if anything happened to Chloe. _Good thing she did. At least I know Chloe isn't alone. Besides, I'm sure she could use a break from me hovering around her._His phone rang and Jack answered it quickly. "Yeah?"

"Jack, it's Bill."

"What's going on, Bill?"

"I was just calling to see how Chloe was doing" Bill said.

"She's okay. The surgery went according to plan. She's not happy about being stuck in bed while she heals, but she knows she doesn't really have a choice in the matter" Jack told him.

"Good" Bill replied. "I'm flying into town tomorrow, so I'll see you when I get there. Karen's coming with me. When I told her about what happened to Chloe, she insisted on coming with me. Speaking of that... there's something I need to know, Jack."

"What is it?"

"I purchased my plane tickets 3 days ago for coach. Yesterday, I find out they've been upgraded to first class, and they were already paid for. I was also informed that if I needed more tickets in the future, I was to give them a specific ID and it would be taken care of. Do you know anything about that, Jack?"

_Tyler. She's behind this. _"I do, but I can't get into it, Bill" Jack said.

"Jack, if there's something I should know, please tell me" Bill pressed.

"Look, all I know is that Chloe's recovery is being paid for by an anonymous source. Apparently, that source is taking care of everything else concerning Chloe as well. I can't tell you anything else, Bill."

_He knows something. But I'm not going to press the issue now. _"All right, Jack. I'll see you tomorrow."

Jack hung up and lay back down. _He's going to find out eventually. But for now, all that matters is Chloe getting better. We'll worry about this later._

2424242424

Chloe was sitting up in bed, tossing a rubber ball to her therapist, who was tossing it back. _This is so boring, but if they say it'll help me get stronger, then I guess I better give it all my efforts. _She was finding it more difficult to catch the ball without being able to move her chest more than a few inches, as her right arm had been strapped to the side of the bed, and so had her legs. Chloe had panicked at first when they had restrained her, the memories of being chained to the wall in the prison coming back, but after she had been assured that this was necessary to keep her from bumping her legs, Chloe had calmed down._At least this time, I'm not being deprived of food or water._

She cried out as she missed and the ball hit her in the nose. "Are you all right?" the therapist asked, coming over quickly.

Chloe shook her head and gingerly rubbed her nose. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's just keep going."

He retrieved the ball and sat back down, carefully tossing it to Chloe, who caught it and tossed it back. They continued for about an hour, both oblivious to the figure who silently watched them in the hall. Jack watched with pride as Chloe diligently worked, tuning out all outside distractions. _That's it, Chloe. You're doing great. Don't quit._

He had wanted to intervene when Chloe got hit in the face, but had just waited to see how she would react._She needs to get stronger, and she can't do that if I interfere every time she slips up._ He watched Chloe finish up, the therapist giving her the ball to use when he wasn't there, then he left, and Jack walked in the room.

Chloe set down the water she was drinking and smiled. "Hey, Jack. When did you get here?"

"About an hour and a half ago. I was watching you, Chloe. You did very well. You keep working hard, you'll be out of here in no time."

"I hope so. I don't want to be dependent on someone else for the rest of my life. But there's one problem. Even when I do get out of here, I have no place to go. I can't go back to the house, that was Morris' place. I have no money to rent an apartment. Besides, I'll probably spend the rest of my life paying off the bills from this place. My insurance ran out the second I was kidnapped. And I know none of you guys have that kind of money. But I'll figure something out. Maybe I can do some freelance work to help pay off the bills, or something like that." Chloe grabbed the bed adjuster and slowly lowered herself to a sleeping position, her good mood having vanished.

Jack looked at her glum face and felt his heart break all over again. _She shouldn't be worrying about that. All she should be focusing on is getting better. I can put her mind at ease, but I can't tell her Tyler's taking care of it. _"Chloe, you don't have to worry about it." Chloe looked at him, a confused look on her face. "I looked into it 3 months after you came here. A very generous benefactor heard about your situation and is paying all of your bills. You won't have to pay one cent. And as far as finding a place to stay once you leave here, I was thinking... maybe... you can come stay with me for a while, just until you get situated. I know it's probably not ideal for you. You probably want your own place. And you don't have to, if you don't want to."

Chloe was stunned by his offer._ He wants me to come stay with him? I wanted to ask him if I could, but I thought he'd say no. _"Okay, Jack. Once I get out of this place, I'll come stay with you, at least for a while."

Jack smiled. _Thank god. I was hoping she'd say yes._ "Good." He looked at his watch. "It's 3 o'clock. Nap time."

Chloe scowled. "I'm not tired, Jack."

_Here we go again._ "Doctor's orders, Chloe. You have to take one every day to let your body get stronger."

"Well, can you at least take me out of these restraints? It's almost impossible to sleep in these things."

"Absolutely not" Jack said firmly. "The doctor said you move too much in your sleep. If I do, you could get hurt. I'm sorry, Chloe. I know you hate being stuck in place, but I just don't want you to injure yourself further."

_Dammit. _"Fine" Chloe growled, closing her eyes. Jack closed the blinds in the windows to keep the sunlight out and dimmed the lights so Chloe could sleep easier. The dull hum of the machinery in the room soon lulled Jack to sleep as well, and both rested together.

2424242424

A soft knock on the door woke Jack out of his slumber, and he shook his head to clear the fog. _How did I fall asleep? _He looked at Chloe, who was fast asleep, at peace for a while. _If only she could be at peace all the time_. He looked at the door, where Bill was standing, motioning for Jack to come see him. Jack walked out of the room, and found Karen standing there nervously. "Karen."

"Hello, Jack. It's been a while" Karen said, shaking his hand.

"Yeah."

"How's Chloe doing?" Bill asked.

"She's sleeping now, but I'll go wake her up. Come on."

Jack walked back into the room and flicked on the lights, quietly calling out to Chloe to wake her up gently so she wouldn't hurt herself. "Chloe, wake up."

Chloe slowly opened her eyes and yawned, looking at Jack. "What time is it?" she asked groggily.

"5 PM. You've slept for 2 hours."

"What? You let me sleep that long?" she barked.

"Chloe, we've got company" Jack told her.

Chloe looked past him to see Bill in the entrance. "Hi, Bill."

"Hello, Chloe." Bill came in, followed quickly by Karen. "It's been a long time, Chloe."

"Karen. What are you doing here?" Chloe asked quietly.

"When Bill told me what happened to you, and how badly you had been hurt, I decided to come see you. I thought seeing a familiar face would cheer you up."

Chloe smiled and awkwardly shook Karen's hand with her free hand. "I guess you could say I've been better." She turned to Jack. "Could you guys go outside and talk? I want to talk to Karen alone."

"Of course. Just call us if you need anything" Jack said, leading Bill out of the room. Once they were gone, Chloe turned to Karen. "What did Bill tell you about my kidnapping?"

"Just that someone wanted information from you. Something to do with a hard drive. Why?" Karen asked curiously.

"Did he tell you that Miles was responsible? That it was Miles who told that guy about me? Or that it was Miles who broke my arm?" Chloe replied.

Karen went silent. _Miles did this? I knew he was ambitious, but cruel? _"Why would he do that to you, Chloe?"

"Because I sent him to prison." Chloe told her the entire story of her imprisonment, including everything Miles had said to her. "It was revenge. I ruined his years of work, and he paid me back by doing this to me. You worked with him for years, Karen. Did you have anything to do with this?"

"No" Karen said forcefully. "I haven't spoken to Miles since he was given that job in Logan's administration. I promise you, Chloe. I had nothing to do with this."

"All right." Chloe looked down. "I'm sorry, Karen. I didn't mean to sound like I was accusing you or anything like that. I just had to make sure no one else was involved. I don't want to go back to that place."

"I understand, Chloe. You went through something that no one should have to go through. I don't blame you for being suspicious."

"Thanks."

2424242424

"She'll be fine, Jack." Bill was reassuring Jack. "Karen wouldn't let anything happen. She cares about Chloe just like we do."

"I know. I just don't want to take any chances. Not after what happened." Jack paced back and forth, keeping one eye on Chloe.

"Look, Jack, about what we talked about yesterday-"

Jack cut Bill off. "I told you, Bill, I can't talk about it. It's being taken care of, and that's all I care about. Just drop it."

"Fine"

"Jack?" Jack looked past Bill and instantly froze. Marilyn Bauer was standing a few feet away.


	26. Tell her how you feel

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 26

"Marilyn?" Jack asked, stunned._ I certainly never expected to see her again. _"What are you doing here?"

"Josh wanted to visit a friend of his. They wanted to be alone, so I decided to take a walk, and I ran into you" Marilyn told him.

Jack said nothing, merely looking down. _Not now. I can't deal with this._

Bill put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'm going to go talk to Chloe, let you two have some time alone." He walked into Chloe's room, leaving Jack alone with Marilyn.

"Look, Jack, I didn't ever expect to see you again. After you disappeared, I kept hoping you'd turn up one day, but after a while, I stopped expecting it. But now that you're here, maybe we can talk, and see what happens. I'm sure Josh would love to see you."

_She's still living in the past. She still thinks we have something. _"Marilyn, listen. I can't. You and I were over years ago. Yes, I do care about you- as a sister-in-law. Whatever we might have had before, we don't have that anymore. I've moved on. I want you to do the same."

"Jack, I can't. I never stopped caring about you, and I know you still have feelings for me" Marilyn pressed. "I heard about Audrey. It's been almost 3 years, Jack. Let her go. Think about your future."

"I am" Jack said quietly. "That's why we can't do this." He looked into Chloe's room, where Chloe was talking with Bill and Karen. Marilyn followed his gaze, her eyes narrowing when she saw Chloe. "Is that... Chloe O'Brian?"

"Yeah" Jack replied.

"What happened to her?"

"She got into a bad situation" Jack answered, not wanting to reveal what happened to Chloe. "I'm responsible for her." He looked back at Marilyn. "Marilyn, please. It's good to see you, but we can't do this. So please, go back to Josh, and forget about me."

"You expect me to just forget? I should say the same thing to you. Forget about her" Marilyn said, motioning to Chloe. "She's got people around her that can help her. I haven't had anyone ever since Graem died."

"I can't just forget about Chloe" Jack growled. "After everything she's done for me, and everything she went through, I'm not leaving her. I care about her, Marilyn. More than I ever cared about you. So unless you want me to call security, please go."

"I'm not going, Jack. Not until you agree to come with me. Besides, what can she offer you that I can't?" Marilyn went to grab Jack and drag him away, but was stopped by a firm hand on her arm.

"Didn't he tell you he wasn't interested, lady?" Tyler said harshly.

"Get your hand off me, or I'll have you arrested" Marilyn said haughtily.

"Look, lady, I could have you arrested first, for disturbing my sister's rehab. And believe me, you won't like that. So, either you leave now, and stay away from Jack and my sister voluntarily, or I'll have a restraining order filed against you. You pick."

"You can't do this." Marilyn looked into Chloe's room. _If she were gone, Jack would be mine again._

"Don't even think about it" Tyler snapped. She turned to Lou. "Lou, get her out of here. She's disturbing Chloe."

"Of course." Lou forcibly dragged Marilyn down the corridor and out of the building, letting go once they were out in the parking lot. Tyler grabbed Marilyn's shirt and pulled her close. "Listen, lady. I don't know you, and I'm not nearly as nice as Jack is. I can't change your mind about whatever feelings you think you have for Jack, but you crossed the line when you insulted my sister. And I don't screw around when it comes to her. So I'm only going to say this once: Don't mess with my sister. Stay away from this hospital, and stay away from Jack. He's made his choice, now live with it. You show your face again, or send anyone else after either of them, and you will regret it." She let go and Marilyn fell to the ground.

Marilyn stood up hastily. "What about my son? He's still in there. I have to get him." _And get back to Jack. I'll have him again. He can't say no to Josh._

Tyler turned to Lou. "Lou, make sure the lady is taken care of. Take her to her son, then escort them both out of the building."

"Don't worry, Tyler. I'll take care of her."

Tyler smirked. "Thanks, Lou." She shot one last glare at Marilyn, then began to walk back into the hospital.

"Don't you walk away from me! I'll sue! Once my lawyers are done with you, you'll be nothing. Jack will have no choice but to come with me. Then who's going to take care of her?"

Tyler instantly froze, then turned around and slowly walked back towards Marilyn. She stared at her for a moment, then viciously slapped Marilyn. "You're lucky that's all I'm going to do to you. Now get your son, and get out of here before I do something I'm going to regret. And by the way, my lawyers will eat yours for breakfast. So don't try anything stupid, lady." Tyler walked back into the hospital and back up to Chloe's room. "Problem solved" she said to Jack. "I don't think she'll ever bother you again." _I hope._

"Thanks, Tyler" Jack said gratefully. "You didn't hurt her, did you?"

"No, I didn't. I just told her not to screw with Chloe and to stay away from you. Or things would become unpleasant for her."

"All right."

"Who was that, anyway?" Tyler asked. "Some old girlfriend of yours?"

"My sister-in-law Marilyn" Jack replied. "We have... history. We dated a few times before I met Teri, and she ended up with my brother Graem. Apparently, she still thinks we have something. But it was over a long time ago. All I care about now is Chloe. Chloe is the only thing that matters."

Tyler looked at Jack, but didn't respond. "What?" Jack said.

"You love her, don't you?"

"Marilyn?"

Tyler shook her head. "Not her. I'm talking about Chloe." Jack opened his mouth, but she quickly silenced him. "Jack, I've only known you for a year, but I've seen how you interact with Chloe, when you think no one's watching. You care about her as more than just a friend, don't you?"

Jack glared at Tyler. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Tyler. Chloe is my friend. It's because of me that she ended up in that state, and I'm responsible for her. That's it. Now drop it."

"I'm not going to drop it, Jack" she shot back. "Look, you can lie to yourself all you want, but don't lie to me. I saw how broken up you were when she pushed you away. You love Chloe, but for some reason, you won't admit it. Why? What are you so afraid of? That she'll reject you? You think you're not good enough for her? What is it?"

Jack looked away. _She's right. I... do love Chloe. But how can I tell her? She doesn't feel the same way about me._

"Jack, what's wrong?"

Jack looked up at Tyler. "You're right, Tyler. I do love her. I've loved her for years. But I can't tell her that. She doesn't love me."

"What are you talking about, Jack? Of course she does. Chloe just never said anything to you because she was afraid that you didn't care for her that way. She was afraid that you'd freak out and leave."

"How do you know?" Jack asked.

"Because Chloe told me herself yesterday, after I sent you home." Tyler put her hand on Jack's shoulder. "Why don't you just tell her how you feel?"

"I can't. Everyone who's ever gotten that close to me has ended up dead, or worse." Jack buried his face in his hands. "My wife was killed by someone I trusted. Another woman I loved, Claudia, she died helping Chase escape in Mexico, because I asked her to. And Audrey. She was tortured for months, because she was connected to me. I couldn't take it if Chloe died, too."

"Things are different this time, Jack. You're out of the game now. And from what I gather, Chloe's not like those others. She's tough. She had to be, to survive in that prison for so long. Yeah, she's badly damaged right now. But she'll get through this. Just tell her how you feel."

_She's right. If I don't tell Chloe now, I never will. _"Thanks, Tyler. I'll do that." Jack started to walk in, then turned back to Tyler. "You coming?"

"No, I have to take care of some things. Just tell Chloe I stopped by."

"I will." Jack walked into Chloe's room. She was picking through dinner, looking revolted at the food. Bill was watching TV, and Karen was encouraging Chloe to eat.

"Hey, Jack" Chloe said, grateful for the interruption.

"Hi." He turned to Karen. "I'd like to talk to Chloe alone, please. Could you two go back to your hotel for the night?"

"Of course." Karen gave Chloe a quick embrace, then she and Bill left, promising to return the next day. Once they were gone, Chloe looked at Jack. "Jack, what is it?"

Jack took a deep breath. "Marilyn showed up here."

"What?"

"She claimed she was here with Josh, visiting one of his friends."

Chloe was confused. "You kicked Karen and Bill out to tell me that your old girlfriend showed up?" _Oh, no. He's going to tell me that he's leaving to stay with her. I'll never see him again. I should have known this was too good to be true._

"Let me finish, please, before I lose my nerve. She tried to convince me to leave you and go back to her. I told her I wouldn't, that we had been over for years, but she insisted. Tyler showed up, and had her thrown out when she went after you."

"Tyler's here?"

"She was, but she had to leave. After Tyler kicked Marilyn out, we were talking, and... and she told me what you told her yesterday. I want to know if it's true, Chloe." Jack looked at Chloe pleadingly. _Chloe, please don't say no._

"You want to know if what's true?"

"Do you really love me?"

_Tyler, you are so dead. _"Yeah, it's true, Jack. I love you. I've loved you for so many years. I've been wanting to tell you, but I was always afraid you would laugh at me, that you would tell me I was pathetic, that you didn't feel the same way. I didn't want to lose our friendship, the trust we had. I told myself that as long as you trusted me, that was enough. Besides, I've seen the women you've dated. I'm not like them. I never had the gorgeous looks, or the social skills to fit in. I'm just... me. Sad, pathetic, unlovable Chloe O'Brian. The woman who would spend the rest of her life alone. How could I compare to Audrey, or to Kate, or even Teri?"

"Stop it. Chloe, listen to me" Jack barked. "You are not pathetic. You are a strong, courageous woman, who suffered through a horrific ordeal, under worse conditions than even I had to face, yet you had the strength to resist for 2 years. Do you really think I would have asked you for help all those times if I thought you couldn't handle it? Even if I didn't feel the same way about you, I would never have put you down like that. But I do feel the same. Chloe... I love you, too."

_He loves me? _"Really?" Chloe said quietly.

"Really. I love you, Chloe. I don't care what's happened in the past. All that matters is the future."

Chloe was unable to speak as her emotions were stirred by Jack's confession. _He really does love me. I've been through hell, and I'm a wreck, but he loves me anyway. _"Wow" she finally choked out. "That's the last thing I was expecting to hear today."

Jack sat down next to Chloe's bed and gently took her hand. He planted a chaste kiss on her cheek. "It's true, Chloe. I love you." He grabbed a couple of protein bars from his messenger bag and opened them up for Chloe, laying them on her lap desk. "Eat those, then it's bed time." Chloe quickly wolfed down the bars, then lowered herself into her sleeping position and fell fast asleep.

Jack let go of her hand and sat back to watch her sleep. He had wanted nothing more than to give Chloe more than that kiss on the cheek, but he was afraid that in her weakened condition, he would end up hurting her. For now, he was content with letting her know how he felt. _Rest now, Chloe. We'll talk more in the morning._


	27. Setback

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 27

Jack was sitting with Chloe, gently applying resistance to her arm, forcing her to exert more energy to keep her arm up. Chloe was sweating mildly, the strain of even this simple exercise showing on her face. Her breath was labored as she continued to hold her arm in place. _She can't take much more. Yet she isn't complaining. _"Maybe we should stop, take a small break" he suggested.

"No" Chloe grunted. "I can do this, Jack. Don't stop. I still have some time to go." She started to shake from the strain, but Chloe wasn't about to stop. _Just a few more seconds. _She counted down the last few seconds, then lowered her arm slowly and put her head back in relief. _10 minutes. I'm getting better. _She shifted uncomfortably, her restrained arm and legs not allowing much movement. "I hate being stuck in these stupid restraints" she grumbled.

"It's only for 3 more weeks, Chloe" Jack reminded her." Once that cast comes off your arm, you'll be allowed to leave that bed again. You're lucky your arm wasn't broken as badly as they thought, or it would be another month."

"I know. It's just... I wake up sometimes in the middle of the night and I think I'm back in that prison. You saw what happened to Tyler the other night. I almost broke her nose."

"Tyler's going to be fine, Chloe. She knows you didn't do it on purpose." Jack patted her on the shoulder gently.

"I know." Chloe smiled. "It's strange. A few years ago, we wouldn't have been able to be in the same room without killing each other. Now, there's nothing we won't do for each other. We were both so stupid. How much time did I lose with her, wrapped up in hatred? 20 years? What I wouldn't give to get that time back." She looked at Jack. "I never talked about my family before, because of something that happened when I was younger." She took a deep breath and continued. "I had a brother when I was growing up, Jack."

"I know." Chloe shot him a confused look. "Tyler told me everything. She told me about Jason, Chloe. He died when you were 19, and you blamed her for his death."

"What? When did she tell you?"

"The day you were debriefed about your kidnapping. I asked Tyler why you had never mentioned her before, and she took me to his grave. I'm sorry, Chloe. It sounds like you two were very close, and no one should have to lose a brother like that." Jack stopped and looked down. "Please don't be mad at me for asking, Chloe. I just wanted to know."

"I'm not mad at you, Jack. It's just... it took me years to get over his death. He was my world back then. Our parents were always busy with whatever business plans they had, so we were pretty much on our own most of the time. Tyler and I didn't get along all that well. It was a pretty serious rivalry between us. She never missed an opportunity to get one-up on me, and I was the same."

"But it was different with Jason. Jason always treated me like I was special, and not as an annoying little sister. He liked computers just as much as I did. I can't count the number of hours he and I spent together, creating programs and talking about software. I wanted to go wherever he went. And he always wanted to bring me along to hang out with his friends. They didn't like me very much at first, but they knew not to complain. One of them did once. He called me a useless little tag-along, and Jason sent him to the emergency room with a broken hand. Once, when I was about 10, I accidentally broke one of the windows in the house. Our parents were so furious when they found out, but Jason took the blame, said it was his fault. He got a nasty switching, and he had to get a job to pay for the window I broke. When I asked him why he covered for me, he told me that I didn't deserve to be punished for an accident, that he would gladly get a whipping if it meant I didn't have to." 

"That was just the type of guy he was- always sticking up for people who couldn't defend themselves. I guess that's why he joined the Marines, instead of going into business like our parents wanted him to. They didn't approve. They said to 'let the poor people who can be spared' do that work. They were kind of old-fashioned. They didn't think it was proper for a girl to rough-house or play with computers, when she should be learning how to cook and clean and find a wealthy young man to support her. But Jason always told me to ignore what they wanted, and to do what I wanted with my life."

"When he died... it was like the world stood still. I couldn't even look at him without losing it, I was so devastated. I thought he would live forever, that he would wake up and give me that crooked grin of his that he did whenever I was upset. But he didn't. He was gone. The one person I cared about more than anyone was gone. And instead of his death bringing our family together, it drove us apart. I blamed Tyler for his death. I told her over and over that it was her fault that Jason was gone, and that I'd never forgive her for it. I never once stopped to think that she might have been just as crushed. I was too wrapped up in my own grief."

"Our parents split up a few months later. Despite how little they respected me, or Tyler, they absolutely loved Jason. He was their pride and joy, even if he was a military man. He was the thread holding our family together, and once he was gone, that was it. I haven't seen them since. And I don't want to, either. They never really cared about me. The only family I need is with me now. I have Tyler, Chase,... and you, Jack. You guys are all the family I need or want."

Chloe stopped talking and looked at Jack. Jack had no idea what to say to her. _She just poured out her heart to me. What can I say? _"Thank you, Chloe. Thanks for telling me."

"No, Jack. Thank you. I guess I just needed someone to talk to about it." Chloe put her head back, exhausted, her emotional battery completely drained. She yawned, and Jack looked at his watch. "You know what time it is, Chloe. Nap time. And don't argue with me. Just go to sleep."

"I'm not going to argue for once, Jack. I'm tired. And I want out of here sooner rather than later, so I'm napping." She closed her eyes, falling asleep, not missing the gentle kiss Jack placed on her lips before she drifted off.

2424242424

"All right, Chloe, just relax. This might hurt a little." She felt a sharp pain as her doctor gently examined her legs, checking the healing scars for infections. Chloe had been freed from her restraints for this check-up, and she prayed for him to take his time. _I hope this takes a while, because once he's done, I'm going back in those damn restraints. But at least it's only for one more week. Once this cast comes off, I'll be able to get out of bed at last._

Another doctor came in the room, calling her doctor out to discuss something. Chloe looked over at Tyler, who was watching in the corner of the room. Tyler came walking over. "Don't worry, Chloe. I'm sure everything's fine."

"I hope so. Who knows, maybe I can get this cast off sooner."

"That's the spirit. Just think positive."

Chloe looked up as her doctor came walking in 10 minutes later, a grim look on his face. _This is not good._

"I just got the results of your exam from the other day back, Chloe" he said, sitting down.

"And?"

"Your legs were damaged further than we expected when you were abducted from this hospital. The rough treatment you received caused the nerve endings to shift radically. That's why you're still feeling almost constant pain, even with the splints we put in. If it's not corrected soon, you'll be paralyzed for the rest of your life, even if your bones heal. The good news is, it can be repaired. We found it soon enough. The bad news is, in order for them to be fully stabilized, for the next few months, you'll have to be restrained when you're not in therapy sessions. That means no trips out of bed, for any reason."

Chloe's heart sank. _This can't be happening. Just as I was looking forward to getting out of bed, I'll be stuck here for another few months. This is not fair._

"I'm sorry, Chloe. I know you were wanting to get out of bed, but this is a serious problem. But the good news is, this procedure will increase the chances of you walking again. And we'll be able to get that cast off in a couple of days. Your arm is healing much quicker than we anticipated. You'll be able to use it again sooner. I know it's not much of a consolation, but it's all I can offer you." He gently patted her shoulder and stood up. "I'll come by to check on you tomorrow." He carefully locked Chloe's arm and legs back in her restraints and walked out.

Chloe began to cry silently. Tyler gently embraced her, consoling Chloe as best she could. "Oh, Chloe, I'm so sorry."

Chloe sniffed a few times, trying to stem the flood of tears. "This is not fair, Tyler. Every time I think I'm moving forward, I move back instead."

"I know it's not fair. You deserve better than this. But don't let it get you down, Chloe. You'll get through this, I promise."

"You think so?"

"I know so" Tyler said. "Have I ever lied to you? Besides, your friends are going to be here with you."

"Thanks, Tyler. Thanks for being here for me." Chloe broke away from her and put her head down sadly. "Why did it take me being kidnapped for us to reconcile? Why did I have to be so stubborn all these years?"

"I don't know. But we were both equally stubborn, Chloe. I hated you just as much as you hated me. I joined the army so I could get as far away from you and our parents as I could. That and I wanted to make a difference with my life. When I was approached about working for the CIA, I agreed without a second thought. Yeah, it's unpleasant work, but someone has to do it. I finally had an outlet for my grief, and I could serve my country like Jason wanted to."

"But after a brutal mission in Austria, when I killed an innocent woman simply because she was in the way, the reality hit me that I no longer wanted to do this job. I knew that Jason wouldn't have killed that woman. He would have died rather that kill an innocent. After that, I wanted out. When I got back to the US, I found out that our parents were dead."

"What?" Chloe blurted out. "They're dead?"

Tyler stopped and looked at her. "You mean no one ever told you? It's been 5 years."

"No. I was never informed. Is it true?"

"Yeah. Even though they were divorced, they still had their company to run. It was the only thing keeping them on speaking terms." Tyler sighed. "She killed him, then killed herself. Why, I have no idea. Probably another fight."

"We can talk about that in a bit, though. I want to finish my story. After they died, I kept telling myself after each mission that it was the last one. I was going to retire, live my life my way. But you know what it's like working for the government. Every time you try to leave, you get pulled back in. About a year before you were kidnapped, I was sent to Turkey to gather intel on a resurgent terrorist cell. I once again told myself it was the last one, that I was officially going to leave once I got back."

"During that mission, my partner flipped. I don't know if he was paid, or coerced, or if he did it willingly, but that doesn't matter. He blew my cover, and I got arrested and sent to prison." She turned around and lifted up her shirt, revealing faint scars. "Yeah, they tortured me for a few months. The Turkish police were thrilled to have an American spy to work on, and they were pretty brutal. Not nearly as brutal as what you went through, though."

"The entire time I was there, my only thought was escape. I wanted to get out, get home, and... end our feud. I wasted so long hating you, and I was done with that. I got my chance one day. I was being transported to a different prison, when our transport was taken out by some radicals. I used the confusion to get away, and eventually made it to the American embassy. It took some time, but I was finally able to get out of Turkey and back to the US. Once I was debriefed, I basically said I was done for good with the CIA and began to get my life back in order. Once that was done, I tracked you down. There were some things I needed to take care of."

"But then you were kidnapped. I was so angry when I found out. I had finally gotten a chance to reconcile with you, only to have that chance cruelly snatched from me. So I began looking. It was pretty frustrating at first, since I knew very little about your life. 4 months after you were taken, I found the man who was hired to take you. I tracked him down for a year, until I trapped him in the plant he had taken you in, where I ran into Jack. You know the rest." Tyler looked down, not wanting to look Chloe in the eyes. _Now she knows the truth._

"Tyler..."

"Look, don't feel sorry for me, or anything like that" Tyler said, cutting Chloe off. "I made my choices, and I have to live with them. Besides, the past doesn't matter anymore. We can't get it back. The only thing we can do is move on." She grabbed a folder out of her bag. "One of the things I needed to talk to you about when I came back to the US was this. It's our parent's will. They left you a few things, including the house. You can look it over when you get a chance."

Chloe grabbed a sheet of paper out and scanned it. "It says they left me the house and the property in Visalia. They left you the business, though. What happened to it?"

"I sold it, first chance I got. I didn't want anything to do with them, or their business. That money was going to be my way out."

"Was?" Chloe pressed.

_She's my sister. I didn't want her to know, but I guess she deserves to know. _"Chloe, the money I got from selling the business is what's allowing you to stay here. Without that, we couldn't afford it."

"What? Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"Because I didn't want you to be worrying about anything other than your recovery. And don't think for a second that you ever have to pay me back. Chloe, you're back in my life. We've reconciled our differences, something we once both thought was impossible. And that's the only thing I could ever ask for." Tyler stood up and grabbed Chloe's rubber ball. "All right, enough of this mushy stuff. I'm going to go all soft on you, and that would be bad for my image. Besides, it's therapy time." She walked over to the chair a few feet away from Chloe's bed and sat down, tossing the ball to Chloe.

Chloe caught it and tossed it back. _I owe you more than I ever imagined, Tyler. And I don't care if you think I don't. You're sacrificing your future for me. I'll pay you back, somehow._


	28. Reassigned

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 28

Chloe was hard at work like always, trying to get finished so she could take off for the night, when the persistent ringing of her phone tore her away from the file she was processing. _What now? _"CTU, Anderson" Chloe snapped wearily.

"Ms. Anderson, I got the information you requested. It took a little work, but I can send it to you now."

"All right, Devlin. Go ahead and send it." Chloe hung up the phone and awaited the information. She groaned as she saw the size of the file she received. _This is going to take me all night to finish. And I can't just pass it off. It was specifically assigned to me. Sometimes I wonder why I wanted to move up in the first place. _She had been happy to move out to the main floor, where the action was, but as the newest Level 3 Analyst, she often got stuck with the tasks no one else wanted to do, often times staying all night to finish. _I'm putting in for some vacation time next week._

Chloe grabbed her thermos of coffee, groaning when she saw it was empty. _That's the 6th one I've had in the last 3 hours. And I'm still wiped. Definitely time for a vacation. _She got up and walked to the break room for another refill, and saw Chase sleeping on the couch. _Poor guy, he's exhausted. _She hadn't seen much of him lately, as he had been going out on more missions. Chloe knew better than to say anything. She told him a couple of days ago that she was worried about him, after he had come back from a brutal mission, and he brushed her off, saying it was his job. For now, she was content with silently waiting for him to return after each mission.

Chloe unlocked the box of coffee she kept hidden so no one would steal it. She hated the cheap stuff that was provided, so she brought her own. Chase was the only other person who was allowed to have any. She quickly brewed a cup and drank it, sighing with relief as the caffeine hit her system, relieving her weariness for a short time. As she waited for the rest of it to finish, she decided to wake Chase up. _If Michaels caught him sleeping on duty, he'd be so dead. _"Chase, wake up."

Chase jerked up and went for his weapon, stopping when he saw Chloe. "Hey, Chloe. How long have you been standing there?"

"Just a couple of minutes" she replied. "You're lucky it was me and not Michaels who caught you. You know what he'd say."

"I do. 'Edmunds! This is a military organization, not summer camp! There is to be no sleeping on my watch, soldier! Now, drop and give me 50!' Honestly, how a drill sergeant like that ever got to be Director is beyond me."

Chloe just shook her head. She didn't care at all for the director, a recent arrival, as the previous director, Connie Lawrence, had left to take over the Boston unit. No one in the unit liked him, in fact. He was a humorless slave driver who insisted that working 12 hour shifts every day for weeks at a time was merely a walk in the park. Anyone who complained was either relieved of duty, demoted, or sent to another unit. He had tried to close the break room, insisting that there was no time for breaks, but eventually relented after a unit-wide revolt.

"Look, just be careful, Chase. Michaels is looking for any excuse to get rid of you. Don't give him one."

"I'm not going to." Chase sighed. "How much longer are you going to be here tonight?"

"All night, again" Chloe grumbled. "Sometimes I think I should have stayed put. The small increase in pay I got is not worth the constant all-nighters. But I'm taking some vacation time next week. I can't keep going like this for much longer, Chase."

"I know. I'm going to be taking some time off, too. I've earned it." He looked at Chloe. "Listen, Chloe, about the other day-"

Chloe put her hand to his lips. "Don't worry about it. You were right- you have a job to do. I shouldn't have said anything."

"But that's just it, Chloe. You cared. And I'm grateful you care." He looked at her, then drew her into a kiss. They stood there for a few minutes, lost in each other, until Chloe finally drew away. "We can't, Chase. Not now. If Michaels ever found out we were together, you know one of us would be out the door in no time. Probably both of us."

"I know. I just hate having to hide the fact that we're together" Chase said quietly.

"You think I don't? You think I like watching the women around here hit on my boyfriend?" Chloe retorted quickly.

"I know, Chloe. But that doesn't mean I don't care about you." He drew Chloe into a hug. They stood embracing, until Chloe broke away again. "I'll... be right back." The effects of 6 thermoses of coffee had hit her full force, and she sprinted out of the break room, leaving a bewildered Chase just standing there.

2424242424

Chloe was sitting at home, watching a mindless action flick, waiting for Chase to arrive. He had promised to be there at 7, but he was running late. _He's never late. Where is he? I hope Michaels didn't make him go out on another stupid mission. _The bell rang, and Chloe got up to answer it. Chase was standing outside, looking worn. He greeted Chloe with a kiss. "I'm sorry I'm late, Chloe. Michaels wanted me to debrief Division. Again."

"Figures" Chloe grumbled, scowling at the mention of Michaels, then smiled. "All right, enough shop talk. We're going to forget all about work tonight, and enjoy ourselves."

"Sounds good to me" Chase said, holding up the beer he had brought. "Want a beer?"

Chloe grabbed the beer he offered and led him into her bedroom. She pulled out the movie they had agreed to watch that morning and stuck it in the VCR, pressing play. They watched in silence, Chase putting an arm around Chloe's shoulder, drawing her close to him. Roughly halfway through, he started kissing her neck. Chloe tried to ignore him, and focus on the movie, but found herself unable to. She quickly grabbed the remote, stopping the movie, and began kissing Chase back, both souls giving in to passion. She stripped off her shirt and pants, allowing Chase to begin a gentle exploration of her body, and he did the same. Time passed as they explored each other hungrily, until Chloe broke it off and lay back, breathing heavily.

"Chloe, what's wrong?" Chase asked, also breathing heavily.

"Chase... I can't."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't do this." Chloe looked at Chase sadly.

"Why not? Is it because of what happened with Alex?" he pressed.

"Yes... no... I don't know. Look, Chase, I care about you more than anything. You're my best friend. My only friend, really. I'm just afraid that if we go any further, it would affect that. I don't want to lose our friendship. Besides, you know what would happen if Michaels ever found out we were together. I need this job right now, Chase." She looked away.

Chase looked at her, then rolled out of bed and gathered his clothes, dressing quickly. "It's all right, Chloe. I understand." He gently kissed her cheek. "I care about you, but if you want to remain just friends, than that's okay with me. Don't worry, I'm not going to stop being your friend."

Chloe wiped away the tears that were building and smiled. "Thanks, Chase." She got dressed as well. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Chloe." He kissed her cheek and walked out. Chloe lay back down and tried to sleep, but she was unable to, and she lay awake, staring at the ceiling. _I hope he meant it. If I lose the only friend I have in that place, I don't know what I'll do._

2424242424

Chloe was working at her station, wearily trying to finish yet another file that had been thrust upon her the day before. _This sucks. This is my 3rd all-nighter this week. Well, if they think I'm going to be here all night tonight, they can forget it. I need some sleep. _She saw Chase walking in, ready to start the day. He caught her eye and walked over. "Have you been here all night again, Chloe?"

"Yeah" she snapped. "Stupid idiots have to screw even the simplest crap up."

Chase put his hand on her shoulder. "Look, don't worry, Chloe. You only have a couple more days, then you and I are getting away from this place for a week. Just focus on that."

"Thanks. Look, I have to get back to this. I want to go home at a decent hour tonight."

"All right." Chase let go and went to his office. Chloe got back to work, and quickly found herself starting to nod off. _Coffee time. _Her phone rang. "CTU, Anderson."

"Anderson, I want to see you in my office. Now" the deep voice of Peter Michaels came through.

"Yes, sir." She hung up and walked up to his office, knocking on his door. He waved her in, shooting her a glare when she walked right up to his desk. "Anderson?" he growled in a warning tone.

_Oh, this is ridiculous. This might be a military organization, but we're not the army. _She stood at attention. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"At ease, Anderson." Chloe relaxed. "Sit down."

"Yes, sir." She sat down quickly.

"I've been hearing some rumors about you and Agent Edmunds."

"Rumors, sir?"

"That you're seeing each other. You know the protocols about agents in the same unit dating, Anderson" Michaels said, glaring at her.

"Yes, sir, I do. No agents working in the same unit are allowed to date."

"So, are you and Agent Edmunds dating?"

"No, sir. Chase is my friend. That doesn't mean we're going out" Chloe replied.

"I hope you're not lying to me, Anderson. If I find out that you and Agent Edmunds are dating, you're both out of here."

"I give you my word, sir. I'm not seeing him."_ Not anymore._

Michaels looked at her, then turned his attention to the file on his desk. "All right. I'll let it drop, for now. But I didn't bring you up here just to discuss your relationship with Agent Edmunds." He tossed her the file. "You're being reassigned, Anderson."

"Sir?"

"It's temporary. Some new project Division started. They wanted you, for some reason. I wasn't informed why. Starting tomorrow, you'll report to Division, and not here. It also means that your vacation has been cancelled, until further notice."

_No. He can't do this to me._

"Anderson, if you have a problem with this, then go ahead and resign. I don't want to hear any complaints from you" Michaels barked.

_I guess I don't have a choice._ "No, sir, there's no problem."

"Good. You're dismissed, Anderson. Get back to work."

"Yes, sir." She left his office and went back to her station, tapping the file Michaels had given her in her hands. _This is not fair. Well, at least I'll get out of here for a while._

2424242424

The sharp buzzing of the saw snapped Chloe back to reality and she shook her head. _What a time to zone out._

"You ready, Chloe?" Jack asked.

"Of course I'm ready, Jack" she snapped. "I want this thing off." She looked at the technician, who was waiting patiently. He nodded and quickly got to work, carefully cutting through her cast. Chloe remained still, resisting the urge to squirm as the blade cut through her cast, stopping just short of the skin.

"Just a little more, then... There. We're done." The doctor carefully cut through the last layer, and her cast popped off. Chloe gingerly moved her arm for the first time in months, looking dejected as she saw the damage 2 months in a cast had caused. _It's a good thing you're dead, Miles, or I'd kill you myself._

"One step at a time, Chloe" Jack said, putting his hand on her now free arm.

"I know. I'm just glad to be able to use it again. I have a lot of catching up to do. But at least I'm not alone."

"No, you're not" he replied, smiling.

The doctor cleared his throat, interrupting them. "Remember what I told you, Chloe. You have to go slowly. That means if you need to rest, then rest. Do not push yourself too hard."

"I understand" Chloe said.

He turned to the orderly standing by. "Take Ms. O'Brian back to her room."

Chloe was transported back to her room, where the orderly gently lifted her back into bed, and locked her legs back in the restraints. Chloe lay down, thankful that at least her arm was now free. The fatigue she had pushed aside earlier returned and she closed her eyes. "Thanks, Jack."

"You're welcome, Chloe. Now rest. Tomorrow's your surgery." He bent down and kissed her, then stood up, but was stopped by Chloe, who pulled him in and kissed him harder. She let go after a few minutes and lay back down. "I always wanted to do that." She fell asleep, a smile on her face.


	29. Cursed

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 29

"Hi, Chloe. How are you doing?" Bill asked as he walked into Chloe's room, carrying the breakfast he had promised to bring.

Chloe smiled broadly as her eyes fell upon the food. "I'm doing much better, now that I have something decent to eat." She took the food Bill had brought and quickly dug in. "I know you guys are tired of me complaining about the food here, but I just can't help it. It's disgusting."

"I understand, Chloe. Whatever I can do to help, just let me know."

"Thanks, Bill." She quickly finished off breakfast and lay back down. "Other than the fact that I'm stuck in this bed for another few months, and my arm is still weak, things are going as well as they could be. I survived 2 years of hell, my sister is back in my life, my friends have been here for me, and then Jack tells me that he loves me. Even though I might never walk again, I know everything's going to be all right." She stopped smiling and looked down. "That's why I'm afraid, Bill. I'm afraid that this is just a dream, that I'll wake up back in that prison. Or that something else will go wrong, and everyone will leave me. It's the story of my life- just when everything is going fine, tragedy strikes."

She looked back at Bill. "Bill... Jack told me what Secretary Heller said to him when he came back from China- that he was cursed, that everyone around him winds up dead. Do you... think I'm cursed? Because everyone around me ends up dead, or worse."

"No, I don't, Chloe" Bill said firmly. "Why would you even think that?"

"Because it's true" Chloe replied. "My life has been full of tragedy. The one person who really cared about me when I was growing up was killed, just when I finally have my life in order. I get a job at CTU, only... only to be assaulted a month after starting. I try to put that behind me, only to get arrested for the first time because of my boss. I get out of trouble, only to get back in trouble. I get out of DC, get my life together, only to have my best friend have his hand cut off by his partner. Chase still has problems with that hand, even today."

"Jack leaves to work in DC, and I try to forget about him, and get on with my life. Then he shows up, and I end up fired because I decide that what he's doing is right. All the stability I had gotten was gone, again. I come back to CTU for the day, and get sucked into a plot to fake Jack's death. For 18 months, I had to work 2 jobs- work for CTU, and work to keep Jack from being discovered. Obviously, I failed, because someone found out, and everyone who knew Jack was alive was attacked. Everyone else was killed because I screwed up. I would have been killed, too, if Jack hadn't have saved me. And you know everything else that happened that day, Bill. I lost my best friend."

Chloe began to cry. She was still not over Edgar's death, even 5 years later. Bill put his hand on her shoulder gently. "It's all right, Chloe."

Chloe sniffed and wiped away her tears. "It still hurts, thinking about him. He was only a few feet away from me, and I couldn't do anything to save him. If I left that room to be at his side, everyone else would have been killed. I would have been killed. All I could do was watch as he died, completely alone. He was such a good friend to me, and how did I treat him? Like a friend? No. All I ever did was yell at him, and push him away."

She took a deep breath and continued. "Then there was having to go against the most powerful man in the world. A man who had all the resources he needed to keep his dirty little secrets, who had us all squarely in his crosshairs. I was so scared, Bill. Scared that at any moment, he would get to Jack, get to me. I could have gone to prison for the rest of my life as a traitor, or even been executed. But I knew that what Jack was doing was the right thing to do, so I pushed that fear aside. There were more pressing things to worry about. Fortunately for all of us, it worked out. Except for Jack."

"That was one of the worst days of my life, even worse than when I lost my brother. I would have left CTU and that life for good, if Jack hadn't have been taken. He saved my life, Bill, saved all our lives. How could I just abandon him, like everyone else did? When he came back, only to be sacrificed, I was so angry. All the sacrifices he had made weren't enough for the people in charge. All my work to find him had meant nothing. That's why I almost wrecked the exchange- not just to save Jack, but to prove to myself that my work would not be wasted."

"After the day was over, and I found out I was pregnant, I decided to leave CTU. I blamed that place for everything that had happened to me. I thought if I left that life, I could have some control over my own life at last, and that things would work out with Morris. I guess I was wrong. CTU wasn't the reason bad things kept happening to me, it was me. Just when I have my life back in order once again, this happens. I spent 2 years in that prison, Bill. 2 years, fighting every minute just to survive, doing whatever I could not to give in to the pain. And for what? Protecting a country that abandoned me? Think about that, Bill, then tell me I'm not cursed."

Chloe stopped talking, exhausted from pouring out her soul to Bill. Bill sat in silence for a few minutes, then pulled Chloe into a quick hug. "Chloe, listen to me. You are not cursed. You've been through things that no one should have to suffer through, especially not someone like you, who fights for what she believes in. But that doesn't mean you're cursed, Chloe. You're a strong, courageous, exceptional woman. A lesser person wouldn't have been able to face all that, and survive. You should be proud of everything you've done." He pulled away. "I don't want to hear any more talk of you being cursed, Chloe, because it's not true. You hear me?"

Chloe looked at him, seeing the conviction in his eyes. _He really believes what he's saying. Maybe he's right. Maybe I'm not cursed, after all. _"Thank you, Bill."

"You're welcome, Chloe. Now come on, cheer up. Forget about the past, and focus on the future."

"I will."

2424242424

Chloe was working with the weights she had been given, pumping out reps, taking care not to graze her legs in any way. _One bad bump, and I could be a cripple for life, they said. Well, that's not going to happen. _She had finished the sets with her left arm with ease, but her right arm was taking all her energy to finish half the sets she was required to do. _This is so frustrating. _She tried to finish, but was unable to get to the end, and she dropped the weights on the floor, laying back in frustration.

"What's wrong, Chloe? Why are you stopping?" Jack asked.

"What do you think's wrong, Jack? I can't do anymore. No matter how hard I try, I just can't finish. It's so frustrating." She looked down dejectedly.

Jack looked at her, feeling heartbreak once again. _She's giving everything she's got. _"Chloe, I know you're frustrated right now, but you can't let that beat you." He grabbed the weights off the floor. "Come on, try again. I know you can do this. Only a few more left, then you can rest."

Chloe looked at him for a moment, then grabbed the right weight and began working again. She quickly found herself reaching her breaking point, but she pressed on this time. _Jack thinks I can do it. I'm not going to let him down. _Chloe was sweating heavily, but managed to pump out the last set after a furious push. She set the weight down again, this time in relief. "I did it."

Jack kissed her quickly. "That's my girl. I told you you could do it." He tossed Chloe a towel. "Here."

"Thanks." She wiped the sweat off her face quickly, then scowled, shifting uncomfortably.

"What's wrong, Chloe?" Jack asked.

"Nothing" Chloe replied quickly.

"Chloe, don't do that. Don't shut me out again. Something's bothering you. You know you can tell me anything."

"Just a bad memory, from that prison. I just... it's hard to talk about, Jack. No matter what I try, I can't forget about what happened to me." _I can't tell him this. I can't give him any more guilt._

"Chloe... I know you'd like nothing more than to forget you were imprisoned. But you can't just bottle up your feelings, and expect them to go away. That might have gotten you through that hell, but you need to talk about it." Jack grabbed her arm, gently massaging it to loosen the muscles. "I know how you feel, Chloe. I was the exact same way when I came back from China. After that day was over, I knew no one would have understood what happened to me, so I didn't talk about it, hoping it would be forgotten. It didn't work. I couldn't just forget an experience like that. I was so miserable, and I found myself wanting just to talk about what happened to me. I still feel that way, even now. I don't want you to go through that, Chloe. Please, talk to me."

Chloe found her resistance slipping. _This is the man I love. I shouldn't keep things from him. He's right. He's always right. _"All right, Jack." She took a deep breath. "It was about 4 months before you rescued me. Burke was obsessed with breaking me at that point. The torture before had been bad, but by then, it was almost primal what they were doing to me. I had been subjected to a month of sleep deprivation. Every time I tried to close my eyes, I would be slapped, or beaten, or worse, save for one night a week, when I was left alone to get a shred of rest. I was going insane, Jack. I couldn't even see straight, I was so tired. After that, when I still refused to break, I was taken to a freezer and locked in for hours."

"Being stuck in freezing temperatures for that long is hard enough when you have clothes on. I was completely naked, though, save for the collar they put on me to keep me in place. It was the worst kind of torture they could have done to me, Jack. I didn't even have the energy to shiver, I was so tired. Everything that I normally would have done to keep warm was impossible, because my hands were bound behind my back, and my feet were chained in place. I couldn't even sit down, or I would choke. All I could do was stand there and freeze."

"I don't know exactly how long I stayed in that freezer. A few hours, at least. They came back to get me later, and I couldn't even walk. I was dragged on the floor like an animal, and thrown back in my cell like a piece of trash. I didn't care, though. It might not have been much better in that cell, but at least it wasn't freezing."

"It didn't get any better after that. I contracted pneumonia from the time I spent in that freezer, and... it almost killed me, Jack. My body was so weak from over a year and a half of near starvation, combined with daily beatings, that I very nearly died. I spent the next few months wishing I had died. At least then, I would be free. But you saved me, Jack. You and everyone else."

Jack merely sat back, absorbing everything Chloe had told him. _Just when I think I know you, Chloe, you surprise me yet again. _"I don't know what to say, Chloe."

"Jack, you don't have to say anything. You being here for me is enough." Chloe smiled, then frowned. "Jack? Did they ever do anything like that to you in China?"

Jack shook his head quickly. "No, Chloe. What I went through was brutal, but nowhere near as brutal as what you went through. I was never locked in a freezer, or put through total deprivation, or chained in place for days at a time. And I never had my legs broken. They mostly put me through hard labor, when they weren't torturing me for information. That doesn't mean it was easy for me, though. It was the hardest thing I'd ever been through."

"The lowest point for me was about 7 months after I had been taken. Cheng had been pushing me harder and harder to try and break me. He wanted to know who in their government was working for the US. I wouldn't tell him, though. I hadn't said a word since I was taken, and I intended to keep my silence. A few days after that, 2 men broke into the prison. They claimed they were Americans, and that they were there to get me out. I was desperate to escape, so I went with them. We left the prison, escaping from Cheng's men, and eventually met up with our contact. I thought at that moment I was finally free. I could go back home and get back to living my life."

"Unfortunately, it was a trap. Once I confirmed that the man we were meeting was our contact, Cheng showed up, killing the informant on the spot. He had hired the mercenaries to trick me into giving up information. I was so crushed. The one thing that had kept me going that time was knowing that I wouldn't talk, and I failed. Cheng backed off for a while after that. I had given him what he wanted, and he was satisfied for the moment. For months after that, my only thought was that I had betrayed my country. I wanted nothing more than to kill myself."

"But every time I tried, something would stop me. I kept seeing the people I cared about. Kim, Audrey, Teri... and you. It was always you that stopped me, that convinced me to keep living, Chloe. I couldn't figure out why, but for some reason, seeing you was enough to keep me from finishing the job. I know why now, though. It was because I loved you, and I had never gotten the chance to tell you how I really felt about you." Jack looked away. "Now you probably think I'm a traitor. If you don't want to see me again, I'll understand."

Chloe merely looked at him. "Jack, don't think for a second that you are a traitor. You gave up information, yes. But not because you were broken, or anything like that. You were tricked. Anyone put in that position would have done the same thing. That doesn't mean I don't care about you, or that I love you any less. We're in this together, Jack, whether you like it or not."

_Even now, she still has faith in me. _"Thank you, Chloe." Jack smiled, then leaned in and kissed Chloe firmly. The two of them sat there for minutes, lost in each other, until they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Tyler was standing in the doorway, drumming her fingers on her arm. "Jack, could I talk to you for a minute? Alone?"

Jack reluctantly broke away from Chloe and got up to follow Tyler out of the room. "What is it, Tyler?"

"Jack, what are you doing?"

"What?" Jack was confused. "We were just kissing, Tyler. Besides, you were the one who told me to admit my feelings for Chloe."

"I know I did, Jack. But you have to be careful. You could go too far, and end up hurting her. What would happen if you let your passion get the better of you, and she takes a bad knock, and ends up paralyzed, or worse?" Tyler asked. "Look, Jack. I know you care about Chloe, and I know you would never intentionally hurt her. I just don't want her to get hurt."

"I give you my word, Tyler. I won't hurt her" Jack said earnestly. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to her because of me."

"Good." Tyler looked at Jack sternly, then smirked. "Now that that's settled, go back in there. She's waiting for you."


	30. Just a friend

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 30

_Two months later..._

"What is taking so long?" Chloe wondered out loud as she waited for her doctor to return from the lab with her final test results. _He should have been back by now._

"Relax, Chloe" Jack said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure everything's fine. You just need to think positive."

"The last time I did that, Jack, I found out I was going to be stuck in this bed for the next few months. It's better if I expect the worst. That way, when it happens, I won't be disappointed." She looked down dejectedly. "I want to think positive, but I don't know if I can take any more bad news."

"Jack's right, Chloe" Tyler interjected. "Besides, no matter what they say, we'll still be here for you."

Chloe smiled. "Thanks, guys." She looked up as Dr. Ericsson came walking in. _Finally._

"Well, I finally have some good news for you, Chloe" he said. "The scan came back clean. The surgery was a success. We were able to repair a lot of the nerve damage from the blow you received, which means that your chances of being able to walk again are looking very good. We'll need to do a few more surgeries to fully stabilize your legs, but from what I can see, you will most likely be able to walk again in a few months."

Chloe lay back in relief. _Thank god._

"Now, that doesn't mean you'll just be able to get out of bed whenever you want, Chloe. You'll still need to be restrained most of the time. And you'll need to take precautions to make sure nothing goes wrong until then. However, if this next procedure goes according to plan, you won't need to spend as much time in restraints as you have been. I'm not making any promises, of course. And I'd be lying if I told you that the hard part's over." Dr. Ericsson got up, restraining Chloe once again. "I'll come by to check on you later." He walked out.

Jack hugged Chloe tightly. "You see, Chloe? I told you things would work out." He gave her a quick kiss and stood up. "I'm going to get you some lunch. You deserve it."

"All right." She watched as Jack left. "It almost seems too good to be true, Tyler. The one time I expect bad news, I get good news instead. Maybe all the bad luck I've had in my life is finally over."

"Believe it, Chloe" Tyler said quickly, grinning. "I know you've been through a lot in your life, not just your imprisonment, but before that. You deserve some good luck for a change. Just keep following the doctor's orders and you will walk again." She stopped smiling. "Chloe, listen. I want to talk to you about Jack. Look, I know you love him, and he loves you. You're an adult, and I have no right to tell you what you can and can't do with your life. I just want you to know, that... if you two have gotten together, than that's fine with me. I know you don't need my approval, or anything like that. You're my sister, Chloe. Whatever you decide to do with your life, I'll support you."

"Thanks, Tyler. It really means a lot to me that you accept my relationship with Jack" Chloe said sincerely. "I don't know how I would have gotten through this without the two of you." She shook her head. "Jack and I have been through so much together, even before I was kidnapped. He's changed everything for me. I used to be such a rule freak. I was the good little teacher's pet that turned people in for breaking even the stupidest rules. No wonder everyone hated me. I even busted Jack for... something he did. I can't really say what it was, but it was really bad, Tyler."

"I was so disappointed when I found out what he did. I thought he was infallible. Part of me wanted to keep it a secret, so he wouldn't get in trouble. But the other part, the one obsessed with rules, won over and I turned him in. Because I did that, he ended up losing his job a few months later. I blamed myself. It was because of me that Jack got fired. Jack tried to assure me that it was better for him to walk away, and that he didn't blame me for turning him in, but I still blamed myself. My only consolation was that he would finally get the chance to get his life in order."

"Jack showed up a year and a half later. He was working for DOD at the time, and he seemed so different, so much happier. It was like he had found what he was looking for ever since his wife was killed. But... everything changed that day. Everything. I can't really go into it, but I'll just say that now, there's nothing I won't do for him, no rule I won't break. We're a team."

_She's hiding something. But if she doesn't want to tell me, then I'm not going to press it._

"Speaking of a team, Tyler, what about you and Chase?"

Tyler felt her face redden. "What about us?"

"What's going on with you two?" Chloe pressed.

"There's nothing going on with us, Chloe. He's just a friend. We have one thing in common: you."

"Oh, come on, Tyler. You know, for someone who made a career out of deception, you are a terrible liar."

"You're one to talk" Tyler shot back. "You can't lie to save your life. Now, there's nothing going on between me and Chase, so drop it."

"Fine" Chloe said. "I'll just ask him."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Watch me."

"Chloe Jennifer O'Brian, you even think of bringing that up to him, and I will pull you over my knee once you get out of this hospital" Tyler threatened.

"I wouldn't have to bring it up if you would just admit you like him" Chloe said hotly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's going on here?" Both women turned to see Jack standing in the doorway, carrying Chloe's lunch.

"None of your business" both said at the same time.

"Chloe, what's going on?"

"I asked Tyler what was going on with her and Chase, and she said there's nothing. But she's lying. I can tell."

"I told you to drop it, Chloe. Jack, talk some sense into your girlfriend. I'm going to take a walk." Tyler stormed out in a huff.

"Chloe..."

"Don't you start too, Jack. There's something going on with those two. They haven't so much as said boo to each other for 2 weeks now. I don't want them to be as miserable as we were, Jack. The sooner they admit how they feel about each other, the better off they'll be."

"Look, Chloe, now isn't the time. You can play matchmaker all you want... once you get out of this hospital. Until then, you should be focusing only on getting better, and not on whatever problems Tyler and Chase are having with each other." He kissed her quickly. "Promise me that."

Chloe scowled, then grinned. "Give me a few more of those and I'll consider it."

2424242424

"How dare she have the nerve to tell me what I should do with my love life. She has no room to talk" Tyler muttered as she walked into the waiting room of the hospital, colliding with a hard surface. "Watch where you're going."

"I could say the same thing to you." Tyler froze. It was Chase.

"Oh. Hi, Chase. I'm sorry."

"What's wrong, Tyler?" Chase asked, looking concerned.

"What's wrong? My stupid sister is too damn nosy for her own good" Tyler replied.

"What did Chloe do now?"

"She asked me if there was something going on between us."

"What'd you tell her?" Chase pressed.

"I told her that she was wrong, but she didn't believe me." Tyler looked around, then dragged Chase outside the hospital. "Maybe she's right, though. We've been trying to deny how we feel about each other, and all it's doing is making us totally miserable. And maybe... maybe we should talk about it."

"I thought we agreed to wait a little while longer until Chloe got better. You were the one who didn't want to start anything because you were worried that she'd become distracted."

"I did. But... Chloe's right, Chase. I care about you just as much as I care about her. I used to think that love wasn't in the cards for me. With our line of work, it's safer that way. But that changed when I met you. We were too busy trying to find Chloe at the time, so I didn't say anything. But the more time I spent with you, the more I realized that I cared about you. When we went to see that Harrison guy, and he had you at gunpoint, my only thought was of saving you. For a second, nothing else mattered. I was concerned when he died that I had just cost us our only chance to find Chloe. Fortunately, it worked out. After that, I decided that how I felt about you was getting in the way of finding her, so I pushed those feelings aside, and focused totally on Chloe."

"Now that the threat against her is gone, I can't ignore how I feel. I know you can't either. Chase-" She was cut off by Chase firmly kissing her.

"Does that answer your question?" Chase said a few minutes later, pulling back.

Tyler just smiled. "Come on, let's go see Chloe."


	31. Hard work

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 31

_Three months later..._

"I've got you now, Jack" Chloe said confidently, staring down at the chess board.

"Is that a fact?" Jack replied. "Well, perhaps this will change your mind." He moved his rook down the board, taking one of Chloe's bishops. "Check."

Chloe smirked. "Yes, it is." She moved her queen to capture Jack's rook. "Check... mate."

Jack glanced down at the board in dismay. _I don't believe it. How did she do that? I had her this time. _He reached over and knocked down his king. "You win... again. You should have told me you were so good at chess, Chloe. This is the 10th time you've beaten me this week."

"I had a good teacher. This was Jason's favorite game, because he said you can't rely on luck to win. He taught me everything he knew about the game- especially how to remain 3 or 4 moves ahead of your opponent at all times, even when they throw you for a loop. Tyler never had the patience to learn, but I did. He and I would play for hours, and our games sometimes ran for days at a time, because we had gotten to know each other's moves after so many games. I stopped playing for a while after he died, because I couldn't even so much as look at the game without remembering him. But I picked it up again, this time against computers. All the fun was gone with that, though, because computers don't have the ability to think moves ahead, so it was easy. I haven't really played in years, save for a few games on the side."

Chloe smiled ruefully. "It's the same think with hacking. Every time I had to hack in to some laptop, or something like that, it was like a chess game. I would have to think 3 steps ahead at all times. I guess that's why I'm so good at it. Or was. I haven't touched a laptop since the day I was taken. I miss it, Jack. The first thing I'm doing when I get out of here is getting a new one."

"First things first, Chloe. Let's just focus on getting you out of here first. Then I promise you, I will get you the best laptop there is, exactly the way you want it."

"Really? You'd do that for me, Jack?"

"Of course. After what you went through, and all the hard work you've done to get your body back in shape, you deserve it, Chloe." Jack got up and stretched, looking over as Tom came in, followed by an orderly. "Therapy time, Chloe" Tom told her.

Chloe quickly got dressed and Jack helped her into her wheelchair, then followed as she was wheeled down to the PT rooms. _One step at a time, Chloe. One step at a time. Just be patient._

2424242424

"Come on, Chloe" Jack said later, as Chloe was struggling to finish her final exercises. "You can do this. Just one more, for me."

Chloe looked at him, glaring. "I'm doing the best I can, Jack. Just give me a minute." She gripped the armrests of her chair, then began to slowly lift her leg, inch by inch. I can do this. Her hand moved to grab her leg, but Jack held it down firmly. "Uh-uh. No hands, Chloe."

Chloe scowled. "Fine." She poured all her will into the last few reps, then leaned back in exhaustion. "That was hard. I almost gave up again."

"But you didn't. That's the important thing. You didn't quit."

"I know. I just hope all this hard work pays off. I really don't want to be stuck in this chair for the rest of my life."

"You won't be" Jack promised, punctuating his statement with a long kiss.

"Excuse me" the voice of Dr. Mackelroy cut in, interrupting them. "I have some good news for you, Chloe. If all goes well in a couple of days, next week, you may be able to take your first steps."

Chloe couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you kidding me? I might be able to walk next week?" _Please, let this be real._

"We'll know for sure after your final surgery in 2 days. And I'm not going to say definitively until then. But we're done for today. Make sure you get your arm reps in, though. I can't stress enough how important those are. Other than that, just take it easy. You can go back to your room now."

Chloe was wheeled back to her room quickly. Jack went to help her back into bed, but she shook him off. "I need to do this for once, Jack." She very slowly lifted herself out of her chair and carefully crawled into bed, taking extra care not to bang her legs. Once she was settled in, she lay back in satisfaction. "Thank you, Jack."

"I didn't do anything" Jack replied, confused.

"Exactly. You let me do that without any help. That's what I need right now. I have to be able to get in and out of bed without help if I'm going to get out of here. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate all you've done for me."

"I told you, Chloe, we're in this together. If that means letting you do things on your own once in a while, then that's what I'll do."

"Okay" Chloe replied, stifling a yawn quickly. Jack looked at her sternly, and Chloe scowled. "I know, I know. Nap time. Fine, I'll take the stupid nap. I'm in too good a mood to argue."

"That's my girl. Go to sleep." Chloe closed her eyes, and Jack left her to sleep, asking Lou to stay with her. He walked out of the hospital, and met up with Tyler, who was almost skipping. "How's Chloe?" she asked.

"She's fine. The doctor said she might be able to start walking next week, after this next surgery. She's sleeping right now." Jack looked at her. "Where were you today?"

Tyler grinned, flashing her hand at him. "Chase proposed to me at lunch. He got down on one knee and everything. I know it's pretty quick, but, I care abut him, Jack. I can't imagine spending one more day without him." She glanced up at the room where Chloe was staying. "I owe it all to her. If she hadn't have said anything, I'd never have told him how I really feel."

"Congratulations, Tyler" Jack said sincerely. "Chase is a good man. And you two deserve to be happy."

"Thank you, Jack. We're going to wait to have the ceremony until Chloe can be there. I want her there. And you."

"We'll be there." Jack shifted, then reached into his bag, pulling out an envelope. "Can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

Jack handed the envelope to her. "I need you to get a few things for me. And I don't want Chloe to find out. Everything you need is in there."

Tyler opened the envelope, pulling out the letter inside, her expression neutral as she read it. She put the letter back inside and stuck it in her bag. "I'll take care of it, Jack. It'll be ready when you need it. And don't worry, I won't say a word to Chloe. Or to Chase."

"Thanks, Tyler. I knew I could trust you." Jack patted her on the shoulder, then turned and walked back into the hospital, his steps light and bouncy. He reached Chloe's room, and looked in, his good mood vanishing quickly as he saw Chloe shaking violently. Her body was drenched with sweat, and she was crying out in her sleep. _Oh, my god. _He quickly ran to her side and shook her gently. "Chloe? Chloe, wake up."

Chloe bolted upright, clutching her chest fiercely. Her eyes darted around, resting on Jack. "Jack" she said quietly.

"It's all right. It was just a nightmare, Chloe" he said, rubbing her back gently to calm her down.

Chloe started to speak, but burst into tears, leaning into Jack. Jack just held her quietly. _She doesn't deserve those nightmares._

Chloe pulled away a few minutes later, wiping away her tears, and scowled, pulling her gown off in disgust. "This thing's soaked. I'll never be able to sleep now."

Jack pulled a clean gown out of the drawer next to Chloe's bed and handed it to her. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Jack" Chloe sniffed, pulling it on. "That was awful. I was back there." She looked at Jack sadly. "It felt so real."

"Chloe, if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to."

"No, I have to. I have to talk about it. Maybe then it'll go away." She took a deep breath. "About 6 months before you saved me, I was put in isolation for the 3rd time. For 3 days, I was left alone. I had been chained to a wall in a stressful position, and I couldn't move an inch. To top it off, I was given no food or water, the room I was in was pitch black, and there was no sound, save for a dripping faucet that had been placed in there to torture me. I couldn't block it out, no matter what I tried. 3 days of no food I could handle okay, but 3 days without water almost killed me."

"That was perhaps the closest I came to giving in, Jack. I was so desperate for water, and it was right in front of me, just out of reach. I almost did give in, but then I saw you. I saw the anger on your face as I tried to explain why I gave in. It was enough to make me hold out until I was released. I thought they would just let me suffer alone after that, but once I was released, they went right back to work, beating me viciously. At one point, when I said no, one of them struck me in the chest with a nightstick. That blow, in my weakened state, was enough to stop my heart."

"I don't remember much after that. The pain was the worst I'd ever felt, then it vanished. I thought I was free at last. The next thing I know, I'm face up on the floor of the cell, and **he's** there. He killed the men who were working on me right on the spot. I thought he was going to kill me next, but instead, he and his men left me alone for a few days. They actually gave me real food, not the watery gruel I had gotten before. I think he was afraid that if they continued, I would have died for real. After a few days, however, he brought in a new crew to try and break me. They were even more vicious than the ones before. That's what I was dreaming about, Jack."

Jack looked at her with regret. "I'm sorry, Chloe. I shouldn't have left you alone like that while you were sleeping. And don't you think for a second that I would have been angry with you if you had given in. The fact that you didn't only shows how tough and courageous you really are. I'm very proud of you, Chloe. Not just for resisting for 2 years, but for all the hard work you've done to recover from that experience. I'm just sorry you were put in that position in the first place."

"It's not your fault, Jack. I made the choice to go to that plant. I'm the only one to blame for what happened to me." Chloe lay back down and looked away.

"I know something that might make you feel better, Chloe." Chloe turned and looked at him. "I ran into Tyler a few minutes ago. She said Chase proposed to her today. They're going to be married."

Chloe scoffed. "About time. He's been wanting to pop the question for a month now."

"You knew?" Jack asked.

"Of course I knew. He just couldn't work up the guts to ask her. I finally told him 2 days ago to stop being a wuss and just do it. I told him that he wasn't allowed to see me until he did."

Jack smirked. "I should have known."

"Now you do." Chloe yawned again. "I'm tired. But I'm afraid to sleep."

"I'll lay with you, then" Jack said, pulling the other bed in the room next to Chloe's and lay down, pulling her close to him. Chloe felt her fear leave and she closed her eyes, drifting off. For a few minutes, she was at peace.


	32. First step

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 32

"Delta-5" Chloe answered the phone, tapping her comm unit to patch it through.

"It's Alpha-4" the voice on the other end said. "Did you fix the problem?"

"No, sir. The programs keep cycling back on each other. I fix the issue with one program, only to have the others screw up. I'm going to have to manually rewrite each program."

"Dammit. You said this would be easy to fix. We can't move on until it is fixed."

_I'd like to see him try to fix this, but he'd probably screw it up. _"I never said this was going to be easy to fix, sir" Chloe retorted. "I merely told you that I **could** fix it, and I can. It's just going to take some time, that's all."

"How long?" he asked.

"Sir, I have to basically start from scratch. Judging from the problem, it'll be 2 weeks, at best."

"2 weeks?! We don't have time to screw around, Delta-5."

"I'm not screwing around, sir" Chloe snapped. "I will get this taken care of. But I can't do that if you keep calling me every 5 minutes. Now I'm rebooting. I will contact you when the problem is solved. Until then, don't call me. Delta-5, out." She pulled her comm unit out of her ear and leaned back in aggravation. "Blithering idiot" she muttered. She looked at her watch. _I've been working on this for 10 hours today? Time for a break. _She stood up, stretching briefly, and walked to the dormitory to sack out for a few minutes. She walked in the door, and instantly collided with a hard surface, falling to the floor. "Hey! Watch it!" she snapped.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you all right?" a voice with a British accent replied hastily, offering her a hand to help her up. Chloe grabbed the hand and stood up, brushing her clothes off, and found herself confronted with a man she had never seen in the compound before. "You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" he asked her.

"No, I'm fine. Just startled, that's all" Chloe said.

"That's good. Glad you're not hurt" he told her, then offered his hand. "I don't think we've met before. Sigma-9."

"Delta-5" Chloe said, shaking his hand once.

"Well, it's very good to meet you, Delta-5."

"Yeah, you too."

He looked at his watch. "Bloody hell, I've got to get moving. I guess I'll see you around, then." He walked hurriedly out of the dormitory. Chloe watched him leave, then walked to the bunk she had been assigned and crashed, falling asleep quickly.

2424242424

"All right, that should fix it" Chloe muttered. _Please work._ She typed in a few keys and sat back, waiting for the process to begin. After a long wait, her system slowly fired up, running a few files, then began to crash. "Dammit, not now." Chloe typed rapidly, trying to prevent a full crash of her system. She quickly stabilized her system, and began to hunt for the problem. A furious search of her files turned up a coding error in the program she had been working on. _Oh, this is definitely not good. A week of work, wasted. Wonderful. _She pulled away and put her face in her hands wearily.

"Is everything all right?" Chloe jumped at the voice and turned around. The man who called himself Sigma-9 was standing right behind her, looking concerned.

"No, everything's not all right" Chloe replied. "This stupid program won't cooperate. I've tried everything I can think of, but I can't fix it."

"You mind if I take a look? Perhaps a fresh set of eyes might help solve the problem."

"Go ahead. Knock yourself out."

He sat down and began scanning the program intensely, muttering under his breath. A few minutes passed, then he began typing furiously. "I think I've got it. Try inverting these 2 codes. It might clear up your problem."

_Why didn't I think of that? _Chloe did as he suggested, and was surprised to find that it worked. "Thank you. I would have lost a week's worth of work if that hadn't fixed it."

"I'm just glad I could help" he replied, standing up. "Listen, you want to... take a break? Get some coffee with me? From the looks of that program, it's going to take a while."

"All right" Chloe said, getting up and stretching as well. "I suppose I could use a break." She followed him to the break room and grabbed a cup of coffee, wincing as she choked down the lukewarm brew. "How long has that been sitting there? 3 days?"

"Probably. Why don't you sit down. I'll brew a fresh pot."

Chloe sat down and waited patiently as he quickly put the coffee to brew, then poured 2 cups once it was done, carrying them both to the table and handing one to Chloe. Chloe took it and sipped it gingerly, surprised to find just a slight taste of mint in her brew. "What did you put in this?"

"Just a little spice. Helps make it better, especially this junk."

"I'll have to remember that" Chloe remarked.

"So, do you mind if I ask your real name? I just think this code name stuff is bloody ridiculous."

"No, not at all. I'm Chloe. Chloe Anderson."

He got up and grabbed her hand, kissing it. "I'm Morris. Morris O'Brian. And I must say, it's a pleasure to meet you, Chloe... again."

"Yeah, it's good to meet you too, Morris." She looked down at her cup. _Okay, what does he want? Most guys like that always have an agenda. What's his?_

"So, how long have you been working for CTU, Chloe?" Morris asked her.

"About 6 months" Chloe replied. "It's all right, I guess. Lots of boring paperwork. What about you?"

"I work for MI-6, but right now, I'm on loan to CTU. Apparently, someone thought I'd be perfect for this little project."

"That's unusual. Most of the time, the agencies don't trust each other to borrow a cup of coffee, much less share access to information. Must have been some pretty big dealings going on there."

"Well, I'm not complaining" Morris said. "That job was a bloody waste of my talents. They've got me doing work that any 1st-grader with half a mind could do. At least here, I can stretch my muscles, so to speak. And it seems that this assignment has come with an unexpected perk. I've just gotten the chance to have a nice conversation with a lovely young lady. I can't ask for more than that, can I?"

Chloe felt her face redden. _Lovely? Me? This is a first._

"You don't think of yourself as lovely, Chloe?" Morris sounded surprised. "A beauty such as yourself surely must have dozens of suitors."

"No, I... I just- You just surprised me, that's all. Most of the men I've met are total pigs." _Other than Chase, that is. _"They spend their time telling me how ugly I am, that I'll always be alone." _What am I doing? I just met this guy._

"Don't you dare believe a word of it, Chloe." Morris stood up, downing the last of his coffee. "Look, I have to get back to work. But maybe, when we get some time off, we can... have dinner? Talk some more?"

"Okay." Chloe drunk the last few drops of coffee and stood up as well. "I guess I'll see you around, Morris."

"I look forward to it" Morris said, kissing her hand once again, then left. Chloe just stood there, her thoughts on Morris._ I'm sure he's up to something. But... he seemed so sincere, like he really believed what he was saying. I don't know. Well, I can't think about that right now. I have work to do._

2424242424

"Alpha-4."

"It's Delta-5, sir" Chloe said. "Do you have the binary chip ready?"

"Yeah. I'll have it sent to you. You just need to reprogram it to your specs, then it should be ready for a test."

"Finally. If this prototype I built works, we can begin production in a couple of weeks. All I need is that chip, then I can test it out."

"Copy. Alpha-4, out."

Chloe disconnected the call and leaned back in her chair in satisfaction. _I'm almost finished. All the hours of hard work are about to pay off. Now comes the hard part. _She tapped her comm unit, dialing her phone.

"CTU, Michaels" the surly voice of her boss came through.

"Sir, it's Chloe Anderson."

"What is it, Anderson? You calling to tell me you're quitting?"

"No, sir" Chloe said quickly. "I'm calling to talk to you about those files I asked you to get for me."

"What about them?" Michaels asked.

"Are they ready for me, sir?"

"Yes, they are. But I don't like giving out information that's going to be used for something outside my jurisdiction, even if it's useless junk."

"I told you, sir. This project is classified" Chloe explained patiently. "Which means I can't tell you anything." _Why does he have to do this?_

"Don't get smart with me, Anderson" Michaels barked. "I could have your job in a second for your insubordination. You still want to sass me?"

"No, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

"You damn well better be, Anderson. All right, those files you asked for are in the archives. Hennessey 7."

"Thank you, sir. Anderson, out." Chloe hung up the phone, her good mood long gone. _What a jerk. But at least he got me what I need._

2424242424

"Chloe, are you all right?" Jack's voice snapped Chloe back to reality.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Can we just do this?"

"Whenever you're ready, Chloe. Just remember, take it slowly" Dr. Mackelroy warned her.

Chloe gripped the rails of the parallel bars firmly and slowly lifted herself out of her wheelchair. Chase was standing on one side of her, Tyler on the other side, both ready to catch her if she fell. Jack was waiting patiently at the end. _This is it. All the surgeries, all the excruciating hours of therapy, all of it geared for this moment. What if I fail? No. No, I can't think like that. I can do this. Just one step at a time. _Her right leg slowly moved forward, and Chloe felt a sharp pain shoot up her leg as she put her weight gingerly down on it. _He said it would be painful, but I can do this_. She moved her left leg in front of her right and put some of her weight on it, grimacing as the pain increased.

"That's it, Chloe" Bill said, watching from a distance. "You can do it."

Chloe shook off the pain and slowly continued forward, taking small steps. Each step felt like fire running through her veins, but she pressed on. _Just a little further. _She took one last step, then collapsed into Jack's arms wearily. The 3 ft. walk had taken all her strength, and Chloe was exhausted. "I never thought walking would be that tiring."

"You did it, Chloe. You can walk again" Jack said, beaming with pride. _That's my girl._

"Congratulations, Chloe" Dr. Mackelroy said. "Now, I really hate to break up this moment, but I'm afraid I have to." Chloe looked at him. "Just because you were able to walk now, that doesn't mean you can just go walking whenever you feel like it. Under no circumstances are you to walk anywhere unless you are under my direct supervision. I can't stress enough how dangerous it would be if you tried to, and something happened. You still have some work to do before you get out of here." He handed her a sheet of paper. "This is what you need to be doing every day when you're not in session. And remember: No walking." He smiled. "But for now, enjoy this. You earned it. And we're done for today."

Chloe was taken back to her room, where she crawled into bed wearily. Tyler embraced her fiercely. "I knew you could do it, Chloe" she said.

"Thanks, Tyler. Thank you, everyone. It's because you all had faith in me that I was able to do that." She smiled broadly. "I'm going to get out of here. And I owe it all to you guys."

"No, Chloe" Bill said firmly. "You're the one who had to do all the hard work. You were able to take those steps because you believed you could."

Chloe lay back in relief. Jack looked at her, and saw her nod very slightly. "Can we celebrate tomorrow? It's late. I'd like to talk to Chloe alone."

"Of course. We'll be back tomorrow, Chloe" Tyler said, letting go and shooing Chase and Bill out of the room, leaving Chloe alone with Jack.

"Finally" Chloe said. "Look, Jack-" She was cut off by Jack holding up his hand. He dimmed the lights in her room and drew the curtain around her bed, giving them total privacy. Jack leaned in and kissed Chloe, finding himself being pulled down by her forcefully. "How about a real reward?" Chloe asked hungrily.

"I thought you'd never ask, Chloe" he replied, leaning in for another kiss, his hunger for Chloe burning furiously. He soon found himself gripped in the throes of passion as he moved in for the kill.

Chloe lay back a few hours later, breathing heavily, shivering slightly. "Now that is a reward."

"It won't be the last" Jack promised quietly. "Now get some sleep." He held her softly, feeling her breathing deepen as she fell asleep. He kissed Chloe's cheek, stroking her hair, and joined her in slumber.


	33. Punishment

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 33

"Chloe Jennifer O'Brian! What do you think you're doing?!"

Chloe froze as she heard Jack bark her name loudly. _Oh, dammit. I thought he would be gone longer than that. _"I'm not doing anything, Jack" she said nervously.

"Don't lie to me, Chloe. You were trying to get up and walk, weren't you?" Jack asked furiously, storming into her room and glaring at her.

_I can't lie to him_. "Yes" she admitted. "I was."

"Chloe... don't you remember what you were told? No walking unless Dr. Mackelroy is here. It's a good thing I came back when I did. What if something had happened, and I wasn't here?"

Chloe looked down dejectedly. "I know. But I have to use the bathroom, and I thought I could walk that distance."

"You have a wheelchair for that." He grabbed her chair, and put Chloe in it. "Now hurry up." He watched as Chloe wheeled herself into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. _She is so stubborn. _Ten minutes passed, and Chloe still had not come out. "Come on, Chloe. You've been in there for 10 minutes. Don't make me come in there after you." He heard water running as Chloe washed her hands slowly, and the door opened. Chloe wheeled herself back to bed and climbed in, glaring at Jack defiantly. Jack reached over and restrained both her legs and her arms, locking them firmly in place. "Now you're going to spend the next few hours in those restraints, thanks to that little stunt you just tried to pull. You try that again, and it'll be 2 days next time."

"Get me out of these things, Jack" Chloe snapped.

"No, Chloe. You're going to lay there and think about what you just tried to do." Jack sighed loudly. "Listen to me, Chloe. You have no idea how much I want to let you get up and walk around whenever you want. But I want you to get out of here more. If that means forcing you to stay in bed, that's what I'm going to do."

"Oh, you are such a Boy Scout" Chloe grumbled, then closed her eyes.

"Uh-uh. No sleeping, Chloe. You are going to stay awake for this."

"But I'm tired, Jack. Come on, just a few minutes" Chloe pleaded.

"I said no, Chloe. You can sleep later."

Chloe opened her eyes, glaring at Jack, who was sitting down watching her closely, not saying a word. She soon found herself growing bored, and began drumming her fingers.

"Are you getting bored, Chloe?" Jack asked.

"Yes, I am, Jack. You won't talk to me."

"Good. Maybe you'll remember that next time you try that stunt." Jack continued to watch Chloe like a hawk, calling out to her every time she tried to sleep. He looked up an hour later as Tyler walked in.

"What is going on here, Jack? Why is Chloe restrained?" she asked.

"I caught her trying to get up and walk an hour ago, so she's being restrained as punishment."

"What?" Tyler snapped. "Is this true, Chloe?"

"Yes" Chloe grumbled.

"Chloe, what were you thinking? You know you're not allowed to walk without Dr. Mackelroy present. You could get hurt."

"Oh, please. I've already heard this lecture from Jack. I don't need to hear it from you, too" Chloe retorted.

"Don't give me that attitude, young lady." Tyler walked over to Chloe. "Jack, please go outside." Jack didn't move. "Jack, please. Let me handle this. And don't come back in until I tell you."

"Fine." Jack walked out. Once he had gone, Tyler turned to Chloe and began to unlock her restraints. "Why are you letting me go?" Chloe asked.

"You'll see." Tyler unlocked the last restraint, then grabbed Chloe and lay her over her lap, holding Chloe down with her left arm. Tyler raised her right hand, then brought it down hard on Chloe's exposed behind. Chloe yelped in pain. "You want to act like a child, Chloe? Then I'll treat you like one" Tyler said angrily.

"Stop" Chloe begged her, grabbing onto the armrest of the bed for support.

"I'll stop when I'm ready to stop." She brought her hand down again, eliciting another yelp from Chloe. 18 more times Tyler's hand came down, until Chloe had stopped squirming and just lay there, silently absorbing each blow. Tyler raised her hand one more time, then dropped it on the bed, and moved Chloe until she was laying back down. "Have you learned your lesson, or do I need to do that again?"

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again" Chloe said timidly, rubbing her sore behind gingerly.

"Good. I'll talk to Jack, see if I can get you a reprieve from being locked up. I think you've been punished enough. But if you ever pull that stunt again, it'll be 40 next time, and you will be locked up. Do you understand, Chloe?"

"Yes" Chloe sniffed, blinking back the tears that were threatening to come out.

"All right." Tyler walked out of the room. "I think we can let her out of her restraints, Jack. She won't try that again."

"What did you do to her, Tyler?"

"I spanked her" Tyler said matter-of-factly. "I told her if she wanted to act like a child, I was going to treat her like one. I also told her if she tried that again, she would get a lot worse next time."

"You hit her?" Jack said incredulously. "Tyler, Chloe just spent 2 years in hell being brutally tortured, and your solution is to inflict more physical pain on her? What on earth were you thinking?"

Tyler began to speak, but stopped as Jack's words sank in. _Oh my god. What have I done? _She looked back into Chloe's room and saw her sister curled up in a ball, trembling slightly and rocking back and forth. Not paying attention to Jack, she ran back in and rushed to Chloe's side. "Chloe? Chloe, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." She put her hand on Chloe's back, only to have Chloe recoil from her touch. "Don't hurt me" Chloe said fearfully, crying. "I'll be good, I promise. Just don't hit me anymore."

_I am such an idiot. I just had to take her back to that place. _"Chloe, please forgive me. I really wasn't thinking. I just reacted. I shouldn't have done that to you, Chloe. I'm sorry." She reached out to touch Chloe again, and this time, she didn't recoil. Tyler rubbed her back gently, quietly consoling her frightened sister, until Chloe had stopped crying. "I'm so sorry, Chloe. I'll never hit you again, I promise. Just don't shut me out, okay?"

"Okay. And I promise, Tyler. I won't try to get up and walk again." Chloe soon fell asleep, remaining curled in a ball. Tyler sat there watching her, her regret over what she had done growing. _That was really stupid. I just undid all the hard work she's done to get past what happened to her._ She got up and left the room, running into Jack. "Well?" he growled.

"She's sleeping. She was really upset, though. I went to touch her, and she pulled away, begging me not to hurt her. I feel like such an idiot. I really don't know what I was thinking, Jack. I was just so mad at her for what she tried to do. She's so stubborn sometimes. I'm just afraid that I've undone all the healing she's gone through this past year. I'll never forgive myself if I have."

Jack felt his anger at Tyler fade as he saw the regret in her eyes. "Look, Tyler. I know you were angry. So was I. Chloe tried to do something stupid, something she's been told numerous times not to do. But next time, let me handle it. Please."

"All right, Jack. If she tries it again, you can punish her your way. I won't interfere, I promise."

"Good."

"That reminds me. I've got the stuff you asked me to get for you." Tyler pulled a small bag out of her pack. "There's part of it."

Jack opened the bag and reached in, pulling the object inside out and inspecting it carefully. "This is perfect. Just like I told you. Thank you, Tyler."

"No problem. And I spoke to a contractor a few days ago. He says he can have your project ready for you in a few weeks. Chloe should be out of here by then."

"That's great. I'm sure she'll love it. I can't thank you enough for doing this for me."

Tyler grinned briefly. "If it makes Chloe happy, that's all the thanks I need. I owe her so much for pushing me into getting together with Chase." She rubbed the band on her finger. "Of course, picking a date has become a bit of an issue. We can't decide on one. But that can wait until Chloe can be there." She glanced at the time. "Wow, it's late. I've gotta run. Chase is taking me out to dinner tonight, then we're going back to his place for the night."

Jack smirked, causing Tyler to glare at him. "Get that look off your face, Jack. Honestly, you men are all the same."

"You brought it up, Tyler" Jack pointed out. "Tell me I'm wrong."

"It's not like that with Chase. He's so sweet and caring. With others, it was just merely a roll in the hay. But with him... it's love. Plain and simple." Tyler shifted. "Look, I'm not going to have this conversation with my sister's boyfriend, all right? So just drop it."

"Fine. You want to see her before you go?"

"No" she replied. "I think I'd better stay away for a while. Don't worry, I won't tell Chase what happened today. But she needs you now. Go to her." Tyler left.

Jack walked back into Chloe's room and sat down next to her, his anger with her gone, replaced by concern. He carefully shook her awake. "Chloe, wake up. Please."

Chloe jerked awake, looking fearfully around, her expression growing glum as she saw Jack. "I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I know you said I couldn't until later. Are you going to punish me for that?"

"No, Chloe, I'm not" Jack told her. "You've been punished more than enough today. Tyler shouldn't have done that to you, and she knows it."

Chloe gave him a slight smile, then looked down sadly. "I'm really sorry, Jack. I know I'm supposed to use my wheelchair everytime I get out of bed. It's just... it's getting easier for me to walk, and I thought I could do it one time alone. But I won't do that ever again, I promise."

"Good." Jack quickly kissed her, frowning as she didn't react. "Something bothering you, Chloe?"

Chloe continued to look down. "Yeah. But it's not what you think, Jack. I wasn't thinking about that prison." She took a deep breath. "When we were growing up, my parents weren't around very much, so we did a lot of really stupid stuff just to get their attention. One of us was almost always in trouble, usually me. Tyler and Jason somehow knew how to stay out of trouble most of the time. When you grow up an Anderson, though, being in trouble was the worst thing you could do. My father was from the 'physical discipline at all times' school of thought, and he never failed to exercise that on us. If we broke the rules, or didn't get good grades in school, or something like that, he would switch us, with the others watching as a reminder of what would happen if we decided to break the rules, too. My mother wasn't much better. She usually stood by as he would beat us, telling us that it was for our own good whenever we complained."

"When I was 10, I got a D in writing. Writing has always been a hard subject for me, and no matter what I did, I just couldn't get the hang of it. My father went ballistic when he found out. Never mind that every other subject was an A. To him, it had to be a B or better, or we were punished. He marched me into the living room and gave me the worst switching I had ever gotten in my life, then he sent me to my room with no supper. Tyler had to take me to my room, because it hurt so much. Jason came to see me later, when I couldn't even move because of the pain I was in, and he snuck me in something to eat, so I wouldn't go to bed hungry. He was always doing stuff like that. He told me that I didn't deserve such a bad beating, that I had done my best, and he promised to help me so I would do better next time."

"3 days after that, I was cleaning up the kitchen when the broom slipped out of my hand and broke a window. Fortunately, Jason was home, and he helped me clean it up. I spent the rest of the day terrified of what would happen to me when my father found out. When my father finally came home, and found out about the window, he immediately blamed it on me. He told me what a worthless idiot I was, and that he was going to beat some sense into me. Jason stepped in, though, and blamed it on himself. He said he had broken the window, and I had nothing to do with it."

"I was forced to watch Jason get punished in my place. I wanted to speak up, so he wouldn't have to get hurt, but Jason just looked at me, and told me it was all right. I went to go see him in his room later, to find out why he had taken the blame. He told me I didn't deserve that awful of a beating for a simple mistake. He said he could handle a little pain. I paid him back by helping him earn the money he needed to pay for the window I broke. It was my way of sticking it to my father. He was a royal bastard who made my life miserable growing up. Nothing I did was ever good enough for him. I spent half my life hearing him tell me I was a useless idiot, that I would never amount to anything, that I should be more like my brother."

"When I graduated from high school, and got into college, my father refused to pay for it, even though he had the means to. He told me he wasn't going to waste his money on his worthless daughter, and if I wanted to go to college, I would have to pay my own way. Fortunately, I got a scholarship, and Jason helped me out by sending me some money whenever he could. He was so proud when I got accepted into college, and I made a promise to him that, no matter what, I would graduate. When Jason died, I was so devastated, I briefly considered dropping out, but then, I remembered the promise I had made. I wasn't about to break that promise, so I stayed in school, and graduated."

"I moved to DC when CTU recruited me, because by that time, I wanted to get as far away from LA as possible. I was still hurting from Jason's death, and I was eager to distance myself from my father. I stopped speaking to my family when Jason died, but I wanted to make it official. I didn't come back to LA for years, until I was transferred to LA CTU. When Tyler told me that my parents were dead, and they had left me the house, I was surprised. I thought for sure my father would have cut me out of his will. But then I found a sealed letter from him he had written a year before his death. He told me in it that he regretted deeply how cruel he was to me all those years, and how proud he was of me. That's another thing I regret, Jack- not reconciling with my father before my mother killed him. I've forgiven him for everything he ever did to me."

Chloe brushed away the tears that threatened to fall. "My life has been full of regrets, Jack. There are so many things I wish I could go back and change. But there's one thing that I have never regretted, not even for a moment- knowing you. Sure, you've often asked me to do things that could have landed me in prison for a long time, and you haven't always been there for me when I needed you. But that doesn't matter anymore. I wouldn't change any part of our relationship. I love you, Jack. And you're here for me now, when I need you the most."

Jack felt a strong stirring of emotion at what Chloe had told him, and said nothing for a while, his thoughts a jumble. _She has been through so much in her life, more than what I could ever have imagined. I am so lucky to have her with me. _"I don't know what to say, Chloe, except how lucky I am that you love me. And I know I've said this so many times, but I love you, too. And I wouldn't change a thing about our relationship, either."

Chloe smiled. "Thanks, Jack." She yawned suddenly and lay straight. "Good night, Jack."

"Good night, Chloe. Rest now. We'll talk more tomorrow."


	34. Going home

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 34

"Whenever you're ready, Chloe" Dr. Mackelroy said, waiting patiently for Chloe to begin.

Chloe took a deep breath, then stood up slowly and began to walk the short course that had been designed for her. _One step at a time, just like always_. She gingerly made her way through, not once grabbing for the rails that were nearby in case she would need support. _I am going to do this on my own. _She nearly stumbled at one point, but quickly righted herself, and glanced briefly over at Jack, who was watching her like a hawk, but he made no move to assist her. _Good. He's letting me do this alone. _She reached the end of the course and stopped, then turned and walked back through it again. She soon reached the starting point, and stepped over the line. "There. I'm done" she said.

"Very good, Chloe" Dr. Mackelroy told her, walking over to his patient. "That was the last one. You can walk on your own from now on. I can't promise anything, but judging from your demonstration just now, you may be getting out of this place very soon. Of course, that's completely up to Dr. Ericsson to decide exactly when that will happen. But we're done. There's nothing else I need you to do, except keep working out once you do leave this place." He smiled at her. "I wish all my patients were as hardworking and dedicated to their recovery as you have been, Chloe. You are an extraordinary woman, and I'm honored to have met you." He shook her hand. "Good luck in the future, Chloe. I'll be checking up on you soon." He walked out of the therapy room quickly.

Jack hugged Chloe fiercely once he had left and kissed her soundly. "That is such great news, Chloe. I'm so very proud of you. You deserve it."

"Thank you, Jack. Thank you for being here for me, and for helping me. Without you and everyone else helping me along, I don't know if I ever would have gotten to this point." She grinned. "I'm getting out of here. I can go live my life again. And I know everything's going to be all right, as long as you're here with me."

"And I will be. I promise you. Now, he said you were finished, so let's get you back to your room." Jack went to grab her wheelchair, but Chloe stopped him. "I want to walk there, Jack" she said firmly.

"Chloe, I don't want you to overexert yourself. I know you can walk now, but you still need to be careful."

"Please, Jack. Let me do this." Chloe looked at him pleadingly, and Jack's resistance faded. "I have an idea" he said. "How about you walk halfway, and ride the rest of the way? Does that sound okay to you?"

"Fine." She walked out slowly, Jack following right behind. They got exactly halfway to Chloe's room, when Jack stopped Chloe and sat her down. "It's been halfway, Chloe. You're riding the rest of the way. And don't argue with me." Chloe scowled at him, but sat back, crossing her arms in disapproval. "That's my girl." He quickly reached her room, and Chloe got out of her wheelchair, walking the short distance to her bed and laying down. She turned to Jack. "Jack?"

"What is it?"

"I was wondering- are we going back to your apartment when I do get out of here? Because it is kinda small for both of us."

"Yeah" he replied. "I know it's a little cramped, but don't worry, Chloe. It'll only be for a couple of weeks at the most. I have a surprise for you when you get out of here, and I think you'll like it."

_Okay, what is he up to? _"What are you planning, Jack?"

Jack shook his head firmly. "You'll find out once you get out of here. And don't try to get it out of anyone else, because none of them know."

Chloe scowled. "I hate surprises, Jack. Come on, just tell me."

"No. I'm not giving in this time."

"Fine. I'll let it drop, for now. But it better be good."

Jack grinned. "Oh, it will be. Do you trust me, Chloe?"

"With my life, Jack" Chloe replied. "You know that."

"Then trust me on this." He looked at the time, then looked at Chloe expectantly. Chloe glanced up at the time, and scowled again. "Oh, come on, Jack. Do I really have to? I'm getting out of here soon."

"Yes, you do. But you can clean up first if you want."

Chloe got up and walked into the bathroom, coming out a couple minutes later and quickly going to sleep.

2424242424

"How are you feeling today, Chloe?" Dr. Ericsson greeted her as he walked in to the observation room.

"Okay, I guess."

"Then, let's get started." He began to examine Chloe carefully. "Are you feeling any pain in your legs?"

"Not most of the time. Just a little flare every now and then. They do hurt when it rains, but it's not excruciating."

"I'm not surprised. That will most likely happen for the rest of your life. And I would advise you not to take any painkillers when it does, unless it does get excruciating. That's the worst thing you could do. Okay, hop on the scale for me."

Chloe got on the scale and waited patiently for her weight to come up. "105. You've gained 2 more pounds this week. Good." He jotted something down on his notebook. "Lay down" he said. Chloe lay back down on the table and grimaced slightly as he gently prodded her legs, gingerly examining them. He soon finished up and Chloe sat up quickly. "All right. I'll be back in a few minutes." He left and Chloe was alone, save for the watchful eyes of Tyler on her at all times. Half an hour passed and Dr. Ericsson had still not returned. "I really hope this isn't bad news" Chloe remarked.

"Don't worry, Chloe. Just have faith" Tyler reassured her.

Chloe didn't respond. _This is the last obstacle. I'm so close to leaving. If anyone up there is listening, I know I'm not used to praying, or anything like that. But please. I've been through so much. Let me get out of here_. She looked up as Dr. Ericsson returned, his expression neutral. "What do you have for me?" Chloe asked him.

"Well, for starters, you don't seem to be suffering any major effects from your experience, at least not physically. Your health is good. That was my biggest concern- that the near starvation you went through damaged your immune system. But it seems to have recovered very well. Just be careful not to stress yourself out too much. You've also gained back most of the weight you lost. The only thing is your legs. I wish I could tell you that you won't feel any more pain in your legs, but I can't. Extended use of your legs will cause pain. I want you to spend one hour after you wake up and one hour before you sleep sitting down. I don't want you running, either. And there will be some days where you won't be able to walk at all. It's an unfortunate reality with a leg injury as severe as yours is. Other than that, though, you can live like anyone else. I want you to stay here for a couple more nights, for observation, but after that, you can leave. I'll come see you before you do. We're done for now, though."

He left again, and Chloe was escorted back to her room, where she sat down in bed, a huge smile on her face. "You were right, Tyler. I had faith, and it worked out. I'm finally going home. Just a couple more days."

"I told you, Chloe. You just needed to believe." Tyler grinned, then went serious. "What are you going to do when you get out of here? Have you decided?"

"I'm going to go stay with Jack at his apartment for a while, until we find a better place to stay" Chloe told her. "It doesn't matter where we live, though, as long as we're together. As for what I'm going to do with the rest of my life, I have to admit, I haven't given it much thought. I was so focused on recovering, that there wasn't much time to think about it. But now, I can. And I'm sure something will come up. What I do know, however, is that I will never work for the government ever again. I gave them years of faithful service, only to be abandoned by them when I needed help. They can find someone else to do their dirty work. I'm done."

"Well, whatever you do decide to do with your life, Chloe, I'll back you up. All I want is for you to be happy." Tyler patted her sister on the shoulder. "Oh, I almost forgot. Chase and I found a place to live. It's a nice house out in Visalia. It's not big, but for the two of us, it's perfect. I want you to come see it when you get out of here. We can have lunch, or something like that, and hang out."

"I'd love to, Tyler. Have you picked a date for your wedding yet?"

"Next month, on the 13th. Will you be there?" Tyler asked.

"Of course I will. You honestly think I'd miss my sister's wedding?" Chloe asked her incredulously.

"No, no, of course not" Tyler said hastily. "It's just... I thought you'd still be mad at me for spanking you. I can't apologize enough for that. I had no right to do that to you."

"Tyler, it's okay" Chloe said, trying to reassure her sister. "I tried to do something really stupid. I deserved to be punished. Just... when you were hitting me, my mind went back. Not to the prison, but before. You know what I mean, right?"

"Yeah. Just like when we were growing up. You know, Chloe, even though we weren't that close back then, it still hurt all those times watching Father beat you so mercilessly for your mistakes. You have no idea how much I wanted to step in and stop him. I was afraid sometimes that he would take it too far and cause permanent damage. Or that you would snap and try to hurt him. I still remember the time when you were 10 and got that D in Writing. I felt so sorry for you. You didn't deserve what happened to you. A ruthless beating over a rotten grade. I hope he's rotting in hell for how miserably he treated you, Chloe."

"I don't" Chloe replied.

Tyler looked at her in shock. "Chloe, he almost killed you. And not just that time."

"I know. Believe me, I still remember. But, I found a letter from him in my copy of his will that he had written me a year before Mother killed him. He said he regretted all the things he had done to me. He said how proud he was of me, and that... I should reconcile with you, because no matter what, family is important. I've forgiven him, Tyler." Chloe looked down. "I don't expect you to feel the same way about him. But... I think in his own way, he did care about me. And he taught me how to be tough. I honestly don't know if I would have survived my imprisonment were it not for him teaching me to be tough in the face of adversity."

"Well, you're a better person than I am, Chloe. I don't know if I can forgive him. But that's something I have to decide for myself." Tyler looked up as Chase walked in. "Hey, Chase."

"Hi, sweetheart. I was looking for you" Chase replied, greeting her with a kiss, then looking at Chloe. "Hey, Chloe. How are you doing?"

"I'm great, Chase. I just found out I can leave in 2 days. I'm going home."

Chase grinned and mussed Chloe's hair roughly, causing her to scowl and swat his hand away. Chloe finished fixing her hair, then looked at the couple knowingly. "Look, if you guys want to take off, then go ahead. Tom or Lou can stay with me until Jack comes back from wherever he disappeared to. I'll be fine."

"You sure?" Chase asked.

"Yes. Go on. Go home. And don't you come back until I'm ready to leave, you hear me?"

Tyler hugged Chloe, promising to see her in 2 days, then dragged Chase out of the room. Chloe watched as Tom came in, then lay back and fell asleep.

2424242424

"You ready, Chloe?" Jack asked. He was waiting for Chloe to finish filling out the last of her release forms. _At last, we're going home. All the hard work that she's done to get to this point has finally paid off._

"That's the last one" Chloe replied, signing the bottom and shaking her hand out. "I haven't had to do that much writing in forever. But it's worth it. I can't say I'll miss this place, that's for sure."

Jack smiled at her, then looked up as Tom came in, followed by Lou. "You two leaving?"

"Yeah" Tom replied. "We're done here. We just wanted to see you two before we left."

"All right. Look, I can't thank you guys enough for being here. I know you were just doing your jobs, but you have no idea how much I appreciate all the times you were here when I couldn't be."

"It was our pleasure, Jack" Lou said. "If you ever need our services again, just give us a call, and we'll be there." He and Tom said their goodbyes to Chloe, then left. "You know, I think I'm going to miss those guys" Chloe remarked.

"Me too. All right, let's go home." Jack pulled out her wheelchair. Chloe scowled, but sat down, and Jack wheeled her out of the room and down the corridors of the hospital, going through the front doors determinedly. Chloe blinked as her eyes slowly adjusted to the sunlight. She looked around. "It feels like a dream, Jack. I'm finally free." She pinched herself tentatively. "Ow! No, it's real, all right."

"Yes, this is real, Chloe. We're going home." He helped her stand up and walk the short distance to Jack's car. Chase, Tyler, and Bill were standing around, waiting for them. "Took you long enough" Tyler said impatiently.

"Oh, give me a break, Tyler. Stupid bureaucratic forms. 'Fill out everything in triplicate. Sign each document 50 times.' Pathetic." She rolled her eyes, then quickly sobered up. "Listen, everyone. I can't thank you enough for everything all of you have done for me this last year. You all have been here for me when I needed you the most." She looked at Bill. "Bill, you came to me when I was most ready to give up, when all I wanted to do was crawl under a rock and waste away. You helped me climb out of that pit. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Chloe" he replied, shaking her hand warmly.

"Chase. You've been such a good friend to me for so many years. You helped me when we barely knew each other, and I still owe you for that. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me."

"You don't owe me anything, Chloe. Just being your friend is all I could ask for" Chase told her, mussing her hair again, dodging the swipe she aimed at him.

Chloe glared at him, straightening her hair, then turned to Tyler. "Tyler. Look, I'm not going to rehash the past, because we've done that so many times. But you're back in my life now, and you didn't give up on me when I gave up on myself. Thanks, sis."

Tyler hugged her sister firmly. "We're family, right? How could I do anything less?"

"Right." She pulled away from Tyler and looked at Jack. "Jack-"

"You don't have to say anything, Chloe" Jack said, cutting her off. "I know how you feel."

"Thanks, Jack. Goodbye, everyone."

Bill, Tyler, and Chase all left, leaving Chloe alone with Jack. He opened the car door, helping Chloe get in, then got in on the other side and fired up the engine, driving out of the parking lot. Chloe looked behind her as the hospital disappeared from view, then turned around and looked forward. They rode in silence for a half an hour, both of them eager to get home.

Jack pulled in front of his apartment and cut the engine, getting out, then helping Chloe get out. He picked her up and carried her up the stairs, unlocking the door and setting her down once they were inside. Chloe looked around, gazing in slight dismay at the Spartan apartment. Jack bolted the door shut and turned sheepishly to Chloe. "Look, Chloe, I know it's not perfect, but it's only temporary."

"No, it's fine, Jack."

"Okay." He looked at the time. "It's late. We can get our stuff out of the car tomorrow. Let's just get some sleep." Despite Chloe's objections, he picked her up and carried her into his bedroom, laying her down gently on the bed. He joined her a moment later, and found himself being attacked by an eager Chloe. "We're home, Jack" she said.

"Yes, we are." That was all Jack could say before the passion inside him took over and he quickly lost himself in the woman he loved.


	35. Surprises

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 35

"Good morning, Chloe" Jack said the next morning, leaning in and kissing Chloe awake.

Chloe opened her eyes slowly. "Good morning, Jack." She looked around. "It feels strange not waking up in that room. But I can get used to this."

"I hope so" he replied, then rolled out of bed and pulled on a robe. "I'm going to go make you some breakfast. You just stay there, all right?" He walked out of the bedroom, leaving Chloe alone. Chloe rolled over and stared up at the ceiling. _I don't know if I'll ever get used to waking up with Jack by my side, but I don't care. Despite everything that's happened to me, I know it'll be all right._ She soon got bored waiting for him and quickly fell back asleep, only to be kissed awake soon after. "Wake up, Chloe. I got you breakfast." He lay the tray of food down carefully on Chloe's lap.

"Finally, a decent meal" Chloe remarked, then dug in, practically wolfing down the food.

"Whoa. Slow down, Chloe. It's not going anywhere. Besides, how can you taste it if you just cram it down?"

"I'm tasting it as it goes down, Jack." Chloe popped the last bite in her mouth and slowly chewed, savoring the taste, then swallowing quickly, turning to Jack. "What are we going to do now, Jack?" she asked him. "I've been so focused on getting out of that hospital, that I never gave much thought to what I was going to do once I did finally get out. Now that I am, I have no idea what I want to do with the rest of my life. I don't want to just sit around all day doing nothing while you're off saving the world, or something like that."

"First of all, Chloe, that's not going to happen. You and I are both free from that life. I made a promise to myself the day I came back from China that once the crisis was over, I was going to stop working for the government. I want nothing to do with them. Second of all, we'll figure something out. And we'll do it together. Besides, there's still the matter of my surprise for you. Once you finish your exercises today, I'll take you to see it."

"Okay." Chloe rolled out of bed and got into her chair. "I need to clean up. And I want to take a shower this time. I haven't had a shower in 3 years. At least not a hot one."

"Chloe, I don't know if that's a good idea. You could slip and hurt yourself."

"Not if you're there with me, Jack." _Oh, why did I just say that? Stupid. _"Unless you... you don't want to."

"No, it's fine. Come on." He picked Chloe up and carried her into the bathroom, helping her into the shower and turning the water on. Chloe sighed in relief as she felt the hot water hit her scarred back._ I'd forgotten how good a hot shower feels. I can't believe I used to take things like this for granted. Well, I'm certainly not doing that ever again. _She slowly scrubbed off, wanting to savor every moment. She gasped as she felt Jack running his fingers through her hair, the sensation sending shivers down her spine, her hunger for Jack burning fiercely. She quickly fought down the growing ache in her groin, and pushed aside her desire. _No. Not now. That can wait until later._

2424242424

"How much longer, Jack?" Chloe asked impatiently a few hours later. Jack had blindfolded Chloe and led her to his car, driving in silence. Every question she had asked was met with the same answer- she would find out once they got there.

"We're almost there, Chloe. Just a few more minutes."

"You said that half an hour ago."

"Trust me, Chloe. This will be worth it."

"I hope so" Chloe replied.

Jack stopped the car a few minutes later and helped Chloe get out, walking her a short distance, then removing the blindfold. Chloe blinked a few times, then stood in shock. "This is my parents' house. The one they left me. Jack, what's going on?"

"Come inside. The surprise is in there." Jack led Chloe inside the house, and she stopped as she saw what was waiting for her. "I don't believe it." The entire house had been redone. Everything had been built low to the ground for easy access for Chloe during those times she would be stuck in her chair. "When did you do this, Jack?"

"I had Tyler arrange it for me. When I asked you to come stay with me, I quickly realized that my apartment wasn't big enough for the two of us, and that you would have problems if I wasn't around and you needed something. I wasn't sure at that time if you would ever be able to walk again. I also knew that we needed a place to call our own. So whenever I could get away, I would spend that time searching for a place for us to live, something that could be fixed up for you. I wasn't having any luck, though. When you haven't had a job in years, that tends to scare off any sellers."

"I went to Tyler for help. She told me about your parents dying and the house they had left you. She suggested that we move in here. I was desperate by that time, Chloe. It was my only option. Unfortunately, it needed work. I didn't know how I would be able to get it fixed up. I knew it was going to cost money, money I didn't have. And more to the point, I didn't know if you would even want to stay here. But I didn't have any other choice. Tyler paid for everything, though. She took care of it for me. That's why I was gone 3 days ago- I was here, checking it out, making sure everything was ready for you." He looked at Chloe nervously._ I really hope she likes it. _"What do you think?"

Chloe smiled broadly. "It's perfect, Jack. I love it. And I love you. Thank you. Of course we'll stay here."

Jack felt immense relief at her acceptance and pulled her into a long kiss, pulling away a few minutes later. "That's my girl. Now, I have a couple more things I need to show you." He led her into the kitchen, and revealed a brand new power chair, built specifically for Chloe. "This is for when you aren't able to walk around, Chloe. The stairs won't be a problem for you anymore. I want you to be able to live your life without any problems."

Chloe felt herself overwhelmed with emotion. _Oh my god. This is too good to be true. _She slowly sank into the nearest chair and began to cry softly.

Jack was unsettled by her reaction. _I hope I didn't upset her. _He bent down next to Chloe, rubbing her back gently. "Chloe, what's wrong? You don't like it?"

"No, Jack. I love it" she choked out between sobs. "I really do. I'm just... I don't know what to say, except... thank you. For everything." She stopped crying and wiped away her tears. "Why me, Jack?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Of all the women in your life, why did you pick me? What is so special about me? What can I give you that any of those others can't? Why would you spend the rest of your life taking care of me, when there are others that can take care of themselves?"

_She still doesn't believe. _"Because I love you, that's why. All the others in my life, they're gone. That's the past, Chloe. The past doesn't matter. The future does. And my future is you. As for what you mean to me, everything. When everyone else turned their back on me, you were there, right beside me. Ever since we met, you've always been there for me, whenever I needed you. You've given me so much, Chloe- your friendship, your loyalty, your trust, and now, your love. Now it's my turn to give that back."

Chloe merely nodded. "Okay."

"Are you okay?" She nodded again. "Good. Because I have one more surprise for you. Wait here." He got up and walked out of the room, returning a few minutes later carrying a slim box and set it down in front of Chloe. "Open it." She opened the box, and her eyes widened in surprise as she pulled out a brand new laptop. "A laptop? You got me a laptop?"

"Yeah. I had it specially made for you. Go on, try it out."

Chloe booted up the laptop and began exploring her new toy thoroughly. "Everything's perfect. The specs are exactly what I wanted." She looked up at Jack suspiciously. "How did you know what I wanted? I never got the chance to tell you."

"When you mentioned how much you missed your laptop, I wanted to surprise you with a new one. The only problem was, I don't know nearly as much about computers as you do. So I... got into contact with Morris. He helped me design it just the way you would like it."

"You talked to Morris?" Chloe asked quickly. "How is he? Is he all right?"

"He seemed fine when I saw him" Jack replied. "He spent most of the time asking about you. I told him how you were doing, what you had been through. He told me how much he regretted leaving you when you were so angry at everyone."

"Did you... tell him about us? Does he know that we're together?"

Jack shook his head. "No, I didn't. I didn't think it was right. Chloe, he still cares about you. He asked if he could see you. I told him I would talk to you, and let you decide. Here's his number." He handed her a slip of paper.

Chloe took it quietly. "I do want to see him, Jack. I need to set things right with him. I still care about him, Jack, but I know we wouldn't work out. And no matter how I feel about him, I still love you. I love you so much. Morris is my past. You're my future."

Jack smiled, then stood up. "Listen, Chloe. There's something I need to do. Something I haven't done in years. And I need to do this alone. Why don't you stay here and break in that laptop while I'm gone?"

"Where are you going, Jack?"

_I guess there's no harm in telling her._ "To see Teri."

2424242424

Jack pulled into the parking lot across from the cemetery and slowly got out, walking the familiar path to his wife's grave. Twice he almost stopped, unsure if he really wanted to do this, but he pressed on. _I have to do this, if for no other reason than to give my past some closure. _He soon reached Teri's grave and stopped in front of it, looking down at the slightly worn headstone. He stood in silence for a few minutes, then took a deep breath.

"Hey, Teri. I know it's been a few years since I've come to see you, but things have become complicated since then. I still miss you every day. We were finally getting our lives back in order. You and I, and Kim, we were really going to be a family again. But then you were taken from me, by someone we both trusted. I still regret not being there for you when you needed me the most. After you left, Teri, I fell apart. I was a wreck, wallowing in my own grief. I wanted so many times to take my weapon and finish the job. But every time I tried, I saw you. That was enough to stop me. I knew you wouldn't want Kim to lose both her parents."

"So many times, I tried to fill the void left in my heart by your death. I told you about Kate. She came into my life when I was hurting. I thought she could give me what I was looking for. But, it didn't work out. She wasn't you. She couldn't be. Then there was Claudia. I cared about her, too. But my time with her was built on a lie. I was doing my job, and she was on the wrong side. When she died, I was saddened, but it wasn't the same as with you. I resigned myself at that point to being alone for the rest of my life."

"Then I went to DC, after I was fired from CTU. I thought that was the best way to heal my grief, and finally get my life back. I made myself into something I wasn't, to try and move on. When I met Audrey, I finally thought she was what I had been looking for. She seemed to fill that void. But just when I thought I was finally free of the grief, I lost her. I was forced to create the illusion that I was dead. I had to leave her, leave Kim. It was the hardest thing I had ever done, Teri, losing our daughter again. But I had to, to protect her, protect them both."

"When I came out of hiding, and Kim found out I was alive, she told me she didn't want to be around me. As far as I know, she's living her life. And even if I never see her again, that's enough for me. Audrey said she still loved me, but I don't know if she really did, or if she loved the illusion I created. I never got the chance to find out, because I was kidnapped and imprisoned the day I came out of hiding."

"I don't really want to talk about that, because it was the worst thing that I had ever gone through. But I was freed, and brought back to LA. It was another one of those days, Teri- risking my life time and time again serving this country, helping keep people safe. Once the day was over, I was reunited with Audrey. But she was gone. Another person I cared about had suffered because of me. I made the decision to leave her for good. I spent the next few months wandering, trying to find a path to walk. I thought I would never be at peace. But... things changed." He stopped talking briefly, gathering the courage to say what he needed to.

"The reason I came to see you today, Teri, is because I have something to tell you. I'm with someone. I- I don't know if I ever told you about her. I've known her for years. Her name is Chloe, and I care about her deeply. When we first met, it wasn't that way. She was simply another employee, and I was her boss. We stayed that way for a few years, until I left for DC, then came back. When I needed help, she stepped up and helped me, even though she would have been sent to prison for what she did. It wasn't the last time, either. She was there for me every time I needed her help."

"At some point during our interactions, I realized that she was no longer just a subordinate, but someone I cared about more than that. When I was searching for a path in my life, I went to see her, only to find out she had been kidnapped. It was like what happened with you. The feeling of helplessness, the desperation to find her, was exactly how I felt when Gaines took you. I spent almost 2 years trying to find her. When I did, she was a wreck. She had been tortured mercilessly, and I thought I was too late. The grief I felt when I found you dead came back. But this time, I didn't fail. I wasn't too late."

"Teri- I love her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. She makes me feel complete, just like you did. I know you would want me to be happy, and being with Chloe does make me happy. But, just because I've found someone else to spend the rest of my life with, don't you ever think I'll forget about you, or that I love you any less. That will never happen, I promise you. I'll always love you, and you'll always be in my heart."

He laid the flower he had brought with him on her grave and stood up, laying a gentle kiss on her headstone. "Goodbye, Teri." He turned and walked slowly away, tears falling freely down his cheeks.


	36. Big trouble

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 36

"Come on, pick up the phone" Chloe snapped as she waited for an answer, drumming her fingers impatiently.

"Alpha-4" her contact finally answered.

_About time. _"What took you so long?"

"Well, for one, I'm not just sitting around waiting for your call, Delta-5. I have this entire project to run. Besides, I answered, didn't I? Now, what do you have for me? And please tell me it's ready."

Chloe scowled at his tone. "The prototype is finished, sir. All I need to do is test it out. But I need your official consent first."

"Were there any problems with the binary chip?"

"A few bugs. Nothing I couldn't handle" Chloe said smugly.

"Okay, then. I'll have the documentation drawn up and sent to you. Once you get it, you have permission to test out your prototype. Just be careful. I want you to be absolutely sure that anything you put in there won't cause any damage, if this doesn't work." He sighed. "Since it seems you're almost finished, I'm giving your group 2 days leave, starting tomorrow. Now, it's late. Secure that prototype, then get some rest. That's an order."

"Yes, sir. Delta-5, out." Chloe disconnected the call, then shut down her station and secured the prototype in her locker, locking it firmly, then headed down to the dormitory to get some rest. Morris caught up with her as she reached the dorm. "Hello, Chloe."

"Hi, Morris."

"How are you doing?" Morris asked. "You've been working so hard lately, I haven't had much chance to see you around."

"I know. But my hard work is about to pay off. I've finished my prototype, and the boss has given his consent for me to try it out soon. He gave our group 2 days leave, starting tomorrow." She rolled her head, cracking her neck audibly. "I'm looking forward to it, that's for sure. But... at the same time, I'm not really looking forward to going back to CTU, once this project is over."

Morris looked at her with concern. "Why not? Is there a problem?"

Chloe hesitated, mindful of how much she should share with someone she barely knew. _I guess it couldn't hurt confiding in him. From what little I know of this guy, he seems to like me. I think I can trust him. _"Yeah, you could say that. The problem is the director, Peter Michaels. He's a royal jerk. Not to mention a slave driver. He seems to think that working 12-13 hour shifts every day for months at a time is a cakewalk. He insists on following total military protocol. Morris, CTU might be a military organization, but I just think it's completely ridiculous that we have to stand at attention when he summons us to his office, or salute him and our other superiors when they come into the office. That's why I agreed to work on this project- to get away from him for a while. Never mind that he would have fired me had I refused. Yeah, we've been working long hours here, but at least we don't have to deal with slave drivers like Michaels. Honestly, Morris, if I didn't have a friend back at CTU, I'd put in a request to transfer."

Morris merely looked at her, and cautiously put his hand on her shoulder tenderly. Chloe found herself comforted by his gesture, and smiled briefly.

"Don't let him get to you, Chloe. No matter what he does. You are too good a person to let him put you down like that." He gave her a reassuring smile, then let go of her. "Listen, since our group is on leave for a couple days, how about letting me take you to dinner tomorrow night? It'll be completely on me. I know this place a few miles from here that is just perfect."

_I don't know if this is such a good idea. That would be mixing business with pleasure, and that usually leads to trouble. But I guess one dinner couldn't hurt. _"All right. Since you're paying, I accept."

Morris grinned. "Marvelous. I'll pick you up tomorrow night at 6:30. It's not a fancy place, so you can dress casual." He turned to leave, then stopped. "It just occurred to me, Chloe. I don't know where you live."

Chloe shook her head in amusement, then gave Morris her address. He left to go back to work, and she crashed on her bunk, falling asleep almost instantly.

2424242424

"Excuse me" a voice behind Chloe said, causing her to jump slightly.

"Yeah?" she replied grumpily.

"You Delta-5?"

"Yes, I am."

The courier reached into his bag and pulled out a sheaf of papers, handing them to her. She took the papers, then signed the form to accept them. _Finally. It's been 3 days. _She read the documentation thoroughly, making sure that she didn't miss anything important, then placed them in her file and got right to work. She quickly tapped into the DC archives and found the files Michaels had bookmarked for her. _Well, it seems that he's not a complete ass after all._

Chloe hooked the prototype up to her system and downloaded the bookmarked files, waiting patiently for the process to finish. _I've been working for months on this. A few more minutes isn't going to matter. _Once the last of the files was successfully downloaded, Chloe unhooked the prototype and left the main floor, heading towards her private station to test it out. She booted up the prototype quickly, and ran a systems check, smirking when she got an all-clear signal. _So far, so good. Now, here comes the hard part. _She punched in her passcode, placing her palm on the print reader to verify her ID. _"Access granted"_

Chloe was barely able to contain her excitement. _I think it works. Now, one last step. then I'll call Morris to give it the final test. _She boredly clicked on the first file, not really interested in what crap Michaels had given her, but she needed to be able to get into files she would need for real. Her excitement left quickly as she found herself looking at detailed specs of a missile system. _What the hell is this? How did this get into the archives? _She closed the file quickly, and opened up another file, her shock growing as she saw a thorough listing of undercover agents working in the Middle East. _Oh, crap. What the hell have I just done? I have to tell the boss, now._

Chloe shut down the hard drive and quickly tapped her comm unit, dialing a familiar number. "Alpha-4."

"Sir, it's Delta-5."

"What is it, Delta-5? Was your test successful?"

Chloe briefly paused, then exhaled silently. "Yes, sir, it was, but we have a serious problem. I need to see you in person. Now."

"Is this important?" he asked patiently.

"Sir, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't" Chloe replied.

The line went silent for a few moments. Chloe nervously waited for him to respond. "Fine" he finally said. "Come to Division. Ask for Stuart Reilly. And make sure you identify yourself by your real name."

"Yes, sir. I'll be there in 20 minutes." Chloe disconnected the call, then hastily grabbed her prototype and jacket, leaving the compound and driving the few miles to Division, her mind racing. _This is definitely not a good thing. I hope nothing bad happens to me._

Chloe pulled into the parking lot outside Division HQ and walked the short distance to the front door, going inside and right up to the guard. "Can I help you?" the guard said.

Chloe handed over her credentials. "Yeah, I'm here to see Stuart Reilly. The name's Chloe Anderson."

The guard turned to her computer and began typing, looking up at Chloe a couple of minutes later and handed her back her credentials. "Mr. Reilly is expecting you, Ms. Anderson. His office is on the 10th floor. You can go on ahead."

"Thanks." Chloe hurriedly made her way to the 10th floor, and Reilly's office, knocking timidly on his door. "Come in" Reilly said loudly. Chloe walked in and shut the door behind her. "Mr. Reilly, I'm Chloe Anderson."

Reilly gazed at her for a long minute. "I know who you are, Ms. Anderson" he said patiently. "You said you had an urgent matter that you needed to speak with me about. What is it?"

Chloe held up the hard drive. "It's about this, sir."

"Your prototype? You said it worked."

"It does, at least the part where I can get into it. That's what the problem is." She looked around. "Do you have a laptop I can use, sir?"

Reilly pulled his laptop out of his briefcase, turning it on. Chloe quickly grabbed it, hooking it up to her prototype, and clicked on the first file, while explaining what had happened, leaving out how she obtained the files. Reilly sat back, absorbing everything Chloe had told him. "So once you found out what you were dealing with, you contacted me?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you didn't dig deeper?"

"No, sir" Chloe replied. "Believe me, I have no interest in what's on this hard drive."

Reilly merely nodded, then picked up his phone. "Could you send security to my office immediately?"

_Security? _"Sir, what's going on?"

"Despite your intentions, Ms. Anderson, you just admitted to being in possession of sensitive intelligence that exceeds your clearance level. That is a serious offense." Reilly looked up as 4 guards came to his office. "Take Ms. Anderson into custody and escort her to a Holding cell immediately."

"Yes, sir." The guards cuffed Chloe and lead her down to the basement level, unlocking her cuffs and tossing her into a small cell. Chloe stood in silence for a few minutes, then wearily sank down on the small bed that had been provided. _I'm in BIG trouble this time. I have to get out of this, somehow._

2424242424

"On your feet!" the surly guard called out to Chloe a few hours later. She jerked out of slumber and meekly stood up, allowing the guards to cuff her and lead her to an interrogation room, where she was secured to a chair and left to wait. She didn't wait long as Reilly came in and sat down across from her, gazing at her intensely. Chloe squirmed a bit, refusing to look him in the eye.

"Look at me, Ms. Anderson" Reilly commanded softly, and Chloe looked up at him fearfully. He pulled a small recorder out of his briefcase. "I want you to give me a statement concerning what happened. Tell me exactly what you told me before."

Chloe took a deep breath, then began to speak, telling him in detail what happened. Once again, she left out Michaels' involvement. _It's better if I take the hit. _She finished her statement, then put her head down in disgrace. _I'm a traitor. I'm going to spend the rest of my life behind bars, if I'm lucky._

"There's something that I don't get, Ms. Anderson" Reilly said. "You stated that you got the files from CTU's archives, correct?"

"Yes, sir" Chloe replied, refusing to look at him.

"Unless I'm very much mistaken, highly classified intelligence, such as what you showed me, doesn't normally just end up on the archives. Someone had to put it there. You don't have the clearance to access that information." Reilly paused. "And I've read your file extensively, both when I selected you for my project, and just now, before I came to talk to you. You don't strike me as the type of person who would hack into top secret databases to get information, then turn yourself in right away. Who put those files in the archives for you?"

Chloe still looked down. _I can't. I'm not going to give up my boss._

"Ms. Anderson, do you have even the slightest idea of how much trouble you're in right now? You could end up in prison for the rest of your life if you don't cooperate with me. But if you tell me who gave you those files, I will do whatever I can to help you. I know how dedicated you are to your job. I've seen the endless commendations from your superiors about what a good job you've done for CTU." Reilly stood up. "You have a choice, Ms. Anderson. You can talk, and still have a career, or you can stay silent, and lose everything. You decide."

_This sucks. But... I know what I have to do. _Chloe finally looked up, meeting Reilly's stony gaze. "Michaels."

"What?"

"It was Director Michaels, sir. I asked him to give me some files for use. I specifically told him to make them harmless data, so no one would get hurt if my prototype didn't work. I didn't tell him what they were for, and I can't tell you why he would do this, sir."

Reilly looked at her skeptically. "I've known Peter Michaels for years, Ms. Anderson. He's a hardass, and a jerk, even for this place. But I have a hard time believing that he would do something like this. Right now, it's just your word against his. Unless you give me proof that you're innocent, as much as I would like to believe you, I can't."

"The proof is in my system, sir. I've kept records of all my correspondence since this project started. All the e-mails I sent him, as well as recordings of my calls to him, are in there." Chloe looked down again._ I just sold out my boss to save my own skin. I'm a rat, as well as a traitor._

Reilly looked at Chloe for a few minutes, then gathered up his notes. "All right, then. I will have it checked out. If what you've told me is true, then you might have just saved yourself years in prison." He turned to leave, then stopped briefly. "I know I'm supposed to remain objective, but... I think I believe you, Ms. Anderson. And I will do what I can to get you out of this and back at CTU as soon as possible." He turned to the guard. "We're finished. Please take Ms. Anderson back to her cell."

2424242424

"Chloe! It's time for supper!" Jack's voice sounded up the stairs, where Chloe had been working on her laptop, setting up her site for work. She had received several offers from various companies for different consultant jobs, but she wanted to be totally independent. _I'm going to do this on my terms._

"I'll be right down, Jack" she replied, and gingerly climbed into her power chair. The day had been one of the ones Dr. Ericsson had warned her about, and she found herself unable to walk at all. _Thank god for Jack getting me this chair. _She slowly made her way to the dining room, stopping briefly to wash up. Jack had prepared a simple dinner, one that he knew Chloe loved.

"Jack, are you all right?" Chloe asked. Jack was sitting down, his gaze far away.

Jack quickly snapped out of it. "I'm fine, Chloe. Just a little tired, that's all."

Chloe merely nodded. Neither one had slept well the night before. Chloe had been plagued by nightmares all night, and Jack had stayed up comforting her. "Well, let's not let this food go to waste" she said, digging in quickly. Jack merely picked at his food. His stomach was in knots by the thought of what he had to say to Chloe.

"Are you sure you're okay, Jack?" Chloe asked once she was finished. Jack had barely eaten anything, and was playing with his food, staring into space blankly.

Jack sighed and stood up. "No, I'm not. Chloe, I need to talk to you. And please, just let me talk." He walked around the table and stood next to her. "Chloe, when we first met, I have to admit, there were times when I wanted to wring your neck. I had never met anyone that could infuriate me as quickly, and as easily, as you did. But every time I went to have you removed from CTU, and my life, something would stop me. Something always came up. And I found myself starting to like having you around. Everyone else was too afraid to tell me what they really thought. You weren't. You were always honest with me."

"When I came back to CTU after going to DC, and that mess with Marwan happened, I went to you for help at first only out of desperation. You were the only one there that I knew, Chloe. But you surprised me by helping me, even at the cost of your own career. You chose me over having a job, simply because you believed me. And that wasn't the only time, either. I found myself growing to like you during our interactions. I finally found someone I could trust 100, someone that didn't help me merely because it suited their agenda."

"Those months I spent on the run, having to hide myself, were some of the worst times I had ever gone through. I was totally alone. Everyone else in my life was gone- except for you. The only time I wasn't scared was when I was with you, when you met with me to give me information on Kim. I found myself looking forward to our meetings. Those precious few minutes we spent together were enough to keep me going until I would see you again."

"That day you called me, and asked for my help, Chloe, I was scared for you. You were being hunted because of me, and the entire time, I kept praying that you would survive long enough for me to get there. I realized at that point that you were no longer a mere subordinate to me. You had become a real friend, someone I cared about. I hated having to ask you to get yourself arrested so I could get away. I was concerned that something bad would happen to you, that you would spend time in prison for me. I didn't realize it at the time, but that day was the day I really began to love you. I mistook those feelings as simple friendship."

"When I was kidnapped, then brought back, and suffered through yet another crisis with you and everyone else, I began to really question what my purpose in life was. I knew that I needed to do something with my life, something that didn't involve the government. Then I found out you had been kidnapped. I swore to find you, to get you out of whatever bad situation you were in, but a very tiny part of me was a little... I don't know, satisfied to have finally found a reason to live. Then when I found you after 2 long years of searching, Chloe, my purpose became to help you recover from what those bastards did to you."

"I discovered that helping you to heal also helped me to heal. I forgot about my problems and focused on yours. All those times you told me about the brutality you had suffered made me realize that my ordeal had been easy compared to yours. I also began to realize, after you had sent me away, that I didn't want to spend any more time away from you. You make me feel so complete, Chloe. You are what I have been looking for ever since Teri died. I only wish it hadn't taken years to realize that."

Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box, opening it and getting down on his knee next to Chloe. Chloe gasped in shock as she saw a beautiful silver ring inside. Jack took it out and offered it to her. "Chloe... will you marry me? I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Chloe was unable to speak. _He wants me to marry him? I don't believe it. And here I was, trying to get up the courage to ask him. _After several agonizing minutes, she finally smiled, tears glinting in her eyes. "Yes. I will marry you, Jack."

Jack placed the ring on her finger gently. Chloe just stared at it, then looked up at Jack. "I guess now we have 2 weddings to plan."


	37. Confessions

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 37

"Are you sure you want to do this, Chloe?" Jack asked for the 5th time since they had left the house a few minutes before.

"Yes, I'm sure, Jack" Chloe replied. "I have to do this. I need to settle things, if I'm going to move forward."

"All right. Do you want me to hang around?"

Chloe shook her head. "No. I'll call you when I'm finished. And don't worry. I'll be fine."

"Okay. I trust you." Jack helped Chloe sit down at her table and left. Chloe turned towards the door, waiting for Morris to show up. _Please, let him understand. I know I'm going to break his heart, but I don't want him to hate me for it_. She saw Morris come in, and smile when he saw her. He walked over to Chloe and embraced her enthusiastically. "Hello, darling. It's so good to see you again."

"Hello, Morris. It's really good to see you again, too." Chloe gestured towards the chair across from the table. "Please, sit down."

Morris sat down and looked at Chloe warmly. "You look fabulous, Chloe. Such a change from when I last saw you."

"Well, I've been through a lot this last year. Did Jack tell you everything that happened to me?"

"All he told me was that you were determined to let yourself waste away, until Buchanan told you not to give up. He said you had been kidnapped again, that you had to spend months unable to move after your arm had been broken, but that you pushed yourself hard to get stronger, almost every day."

"That's true" she replied, then looked down. "Look, Morris, the reason why I wanted to see you today was, I need to know something. Why did you leave me when I needed you?"

"Because I was a bloody coward, that's why" Morris said bluntly. Chloe opened her mouth to argue, but Morris held his hand up to silence her. "It's true, Chloe. I wanted so much to help you. You needed help. But you were so angry at me, at everyone around you, that I had no idea what I could do. So I ran away, like a coward. I spent a few months traveling around, trying to find the answer. But nothing came to me. I was still at a loss on what to do. I was so depressed, Chloe. I even considered turning to the bottle at my lowest point. I was going to throw away 6 years of sobriety, because I believed that I had failed you."

"But just as I was about to drink, I saw you. I saw the anger and hurt on your face from before, when I was forced to arm those nukes. It was enough to stop me. And I came to accept the fact that I could no longer help you. I made peace with that. I wasn't happy about it, but I accepted it, and I tried to move on. But I couldn't forget about you, Chloe. I wanted so many times to contact you, to explain why I left, but I couldn't. When Jack contacted me about getting you a laptop, I agreed, because that way I could find out how you were doing, and possibly get the chance to talk to you myself." Morris looked away from Chloe. "Forgive me, darling, for being a coward, and for abandoning you."

Chloe reached over and took Morris' hand in her own. "I don't think you're a coward, Morris. I never once thought that about you. I think you're an honorable man who's made mistakes, like everyone else. You never once raised your hand to me, even during those times when you and I were ready to tear each other apart. You remained faithful to me when we were together. And I don't blame you for what you did. I was so angry and bitter about what had happened to me, that I'm surprised anyone stayed to help me. And I still owe you for helping to rescue me from that prison, and saving my life."

Morris looked back at her. "Thank you, sweetheart." He paused. "Look, I know I don't deserve another chance with you. I've had plenty of chances, and I've squandered them all. But... maybe this time might be different. I still love you, Chloe. That has never changed. I want to make things work between us."

_Oh, no. This is what I was afraid of. I'm going to hurt him. But I have to do this. And I know it's the right thing to do for me. _"Morris... there's something I need to tell you. I still care about you. Even when we weren't together, I cared about you. But... we can't be together. I know from experience that you and I wouldn't work out. And... even if I thought that we could make it work, I'm engaged." She showed him the ring on her finger. "Jack proposed to me last week." She saw the crestfallen expression that went across Morris' face and felt her heart break. "I'm really sorry, Morris. I never meant to hurt you."

Morris looked at her sadly. "Don't be sorry, love. You deserve happiness in your life. And if being with Jack makes you happy, then I can accept that." He stood up. "I know now that we're done, but... can we at least be friends? I still want to be a part of your life, Chloe. And... if you'll have me there, I want to come to your wedding."

"Of course" Chloe said quickly. "I'd love for you to stay in my life. And I would be honored if you would attend my wedding."

Morris smiled briefly. "Okay." He sat back down. "Well, I'm hungry, and since we're here, we might as well have some lunch."

"Sounds good to me" Chloe replied. "But this time, I'm buying."

2424242424

Chloe was working in the living room when the door buzzed. _Oh, what now? _She slowly got up from the couch and walked towards the door, opening it to reveal Tyler. "Tyler, what are you doing here?"

"I'm spending some quality time away from Chase" Tyler replied. "I love him, Chloe, but we agreed last week to give ourselves some personal time every day away from each other. Besides, I think I'd go crazy being around him 24/7 any longer." She looked around. "Can I come in, or are you just going to leave me standing here?"

"Sorry. Come in."

Tyler strode past her sister and looked around. "Nice. You guys have done a great job with the place."

"Thanks." Chloe put her laptop on standby and walked towards the kitchen. "You want something to drink, Ty?"

"Beer if you got it."

Chloe grabbed 2 beers out of the fridge and brought them back, handing one to Tyler, then sitting down in relief, rubbing her legs gingerly. "You all right, Chlo?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Chloe said. "They're just a little sore today. Yesterday I couldn't even walk at all. But I'm getting used to having days like that. I'm just lucky that I can walk most days, so I'm not going to complain about a little pain."

Tyler nodded, then grinned. "So, let me see it."

"You know what it looks like, Ty. You got it for him."

"Yeah, I know, but, I still want to see it." Tyler gave Chloe a pleading look, and Chloe scowled. "I hate when you look at me like that, Tyler." She thrust her hand at Tyler, who grabbed it gleefully, inspecting the band on her sister's finger.

"You satisfied, Tyler? Can I have my hand back now?" Chloe snapped a couple minutes later.

Tyler let go, then leaned back in the chair, still grinning. "You know, Chloe" she said, sobering up, "sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky after all these years of pain and heartbreak. I have you back in my life, I'm going to be married in a couple of days to a wonderful man, and I'm more than set for life financially. Chase and I were even considering trying to have children after we got married."

Chloe was surprised. "You hate kids, Ty. You told me you'd never wanted any."

"I never said I hated children" Tyler said quickly. "I just said I'd never wanted to have any. Let's face it, Chlo, my lifestyle wasn't suited for raising a family, with me being overseas all the time. I wasn't going to subject a child to what we went through, where our parents were never around, unless we were in trouble. That and the fact that all the men I knew were either total pigs, or they were comrades of mine. I don't mix work with my personal life. But... everything changed when I met Chase. All those long hours we spent together looking for you, then helping you recover, brought us together. I began to imagine the possibility of spending the rest of my life with him."

"But old habits die hard. You know that better than anyone. I was still hesitant about getting into a relationship. When he confronted me one day, I told him that I wanted to give it some more time. I came up with so many lame excuses why I shouldn't be with him. I'd still be screwing around if you hadn't have bugged me about it. Admitting to both Chase and to myself how I really felt about him was the hardest thing I've ever done, Chloe, but it was also one of the most rewarding things I've ever done, because now I look forward to the future, instead of merely living day-to-day."

Tyler shook her head. "4 years ago, I was at rock bottom. I had been sold out by someone I trusted, and trapped in prison, left to rot by a country that no longer cared about one of their own. That first month, when they worked me over the hardest, was the lowest point. I tried so many times to kill myself. I told myself that even if the government considered me expendable, I could still serve my country by not allowing them to break me. Every attempt I made was usually stopped by the guards, who were under strict orders not to let their prize out of sight. But one night, I had the perfect opportunity. The guards were drunk, and I decided to take that chance. I was getting ready to hang myself, and end my pain. But, just before I could finish the job, I saw you, Chloe. And for once, I didn't feel anger like I usually did when I thought of you. The only thing I felt was regret, over all the years we lost wrapped up in hatred."

"That vision of you, and the regret I felt over not making things right with you, was enough to bolster my will to live, and resist whatever tortures they had planned for me. From that point on, I was determined to escape, to gain my freedom... and find a way to reconcile with you. Anything I could do to piss off my captors, I did. After a few months, they gave up on breaking me, and decided that I was no longer worth their efforts. They were going to execute me. That's where they were taking me when my transport was attacked. It was the opportunity I had been waiting months for, and I wasn't about to let it slip away. So I escaped."

She stopped, then looked at Chloe. "All right, enough bad stuff. I'm supposed to be enjoying my last couple days of freedom, not waste them moaning about the past. Besides, I have a favor to ask. Since Chase is so determined to do this wedding stuff by the book, we can't see each other starting tomorrow night. So I was wondering if I could crash here. Jack can go stay with Chase, and you and I can have some quality time together."

"Well, I'll have to talk to Jack, but I don't think he'll mind as long as you're here with me" Chloe told her. "I just hope I'm not stuck in that chair that day." She suddenly yawned. "I'm tired. You mind if I go take my nap? You can watch TV or something until I wake up."

Tyler, however, was eyeing Chloe's laptop eagerly. Chloe scowled and scooped it up protectively. "No. No one is touching my laptop, not even you or Jack. There's a computer in the other room. Feel free to use that. But this one is off limits." Ignoring the glare Tyler gave her, Chloe went up the stairs and fell asleep, unaware of Tyler's watchful eyes.

2424242424

The park was quiet, save for the singing of birds, as five figures gathered for a singular purpose. Both Chase and Tyler had agreed on a private ceremony, in the park both Chloe and Tyler had loved to spend time in growing up. All of them were eager to begin.

"Feels strange to be back here" Chloe remarked. "I haven't been in this park since Jason died."

"Me neither" Tyler replied. "It was just too painful. But I couldn't think of a better place to do this."

"Are you ready, Tyler?" Chase asked.

"Yes. I've been ready. I want to make this official."

Chloe and Jack moved back a few paces to give them room. The preacher turned to the couple. "We gather here this fine afternoon to bear witness to the sacred union of two souls. Chase, Tyler, you are about to enter into a new phase in your lives. Should anyone present object to this union, please speak now, or forever hold your peace." He waited a few moments, but no one spoke. "Do you, Chase, take this woman, Tyler, to honor and to love, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, until death do you part?"

"I do" Chase said.

"And do you, Tyler, take this man, Chase, to honor and to love, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, until death do you part?"

"I do" Tyler replied.

"The rings." Chloe handed her ring to Tyler, and Jack did the same for Chase. The rings were quickly exchanged. "Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Chase didn't wait for the rest and quickly planted a passionate kiss on Tyler. He pulled back a few minutes later, grinning. "You ready to go, sweetheart?"

"Yeah. Bye, guys. We'll see you in a few days." Chloe and Jack said their goodbyes to the newlyweds, then left to go home.

"Chloe?" Jack said a few hours later, as they were watching TV.

"What is it, Jack?"

"What would you think about having our wedding there? It would just be the four of us, and Bill and Karen if they're able to be there."

Chloe smiled. "All right. Truth be told, I was going to ask you that myself. I think it'd be perfect. I... also want Morris there."

"Morris? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. He told me he wanted to be there, but I wanted to make sure that was okay with you."

"Okay, then" Jack replied, then switched off the TV, scooping up his startled fiance and carrying her into their bedroom. "Enough talk" he said huskily, his desire for the woman he loved taking over.


	38. I miss him

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 38

The loud moaning coming from down the hall jerked Tyler out of her peaceful sleep. _What the hell was that? _She pulled on her shirt and shorts and raced down the hall to see Chloe thrashing wildly, calling out Jack's name, begging him not to hurt her. _These nightmares just never end, do they? Why can't they leave her alone? _She reached over to wake Chloe up, but was smashed in the face by Chloe's wildly swinging arm. Ignoring her now throbbing nose, Tyler quickly shook Chloe awake. "Come on, sis, wake up."

Chloe bolted upright, looking around, breathing rapidly, sheer terror on her face. The lingering emotion of the nightmare took over and she began to cry softly, letting it out. Tyler pulled her sister into an embrace, comforting her. _She might be physically healed, but mentally... she's still a wreck, no matter what she says. _"It's all right, Chloe. Just let it go. I'm here now."

Chloe soon pulled away and lay back down, wiping away her tears. "Thanks, Tyler." She looked at the time. "Did I wake you up? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"Don't worry about it, Chloe. I'm a big girl. I can handle missing a few hours of sleep. Your well-being is more important to me." She sat down next to Chloe's bed. "Do you want to.. talk about it?"

Chloe shook her head. "Not really."

_She's doing it again. Shutting me out, when she should be reaching out to me. _"Chloe, please don't shut me out. Look, I know we're still trying to figure out our relationship. 20 years apart isn't a good thing. But you should know that you can tell me anything, and I won't say a word. Not to Jack, or Chase, or anyone. No matter what's happened to us in the past, you're still my sister, and I really do care about you."

"You didn't seem to care very much when you hit me, when you treated me like I was a kid" Chloe replied, regretting her words almost instantly as she saw the hurt and regret on Tyler's face. "I'm sorry, Tyler. I didn't mean that."

_She still hates me for hitting her. But I don't blame her. _"It's all right, Chloe. I don't blame you for a minute for being mad at me for that. What I did to you was incredibly stupid, and I'll never forgive myself for it."

"That's not how I feel, Tyler. I tried to do something stupid, and I deserved that punishment." Chloe stopped. "Look, this is getting us nowhere. So let's just agree to forgive each other and move on, all right?"

"All right." Tyler sighed. "But I still want you to talk about what just happened, Chloe. I might not be a psychiatrist, or anything like that, but I won't charge you to talk to me. And I think you need to talk about it, or those nightmares will never go away."

"How do you know?"

"Because the same thing happened to me when I came back from Turkey. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about what happened to me. It was painful enough to have gone through such a horrific experience, and I was not in the frame of mind to relive it. So I started having nightmares. I thought they would just go away after a while, but they didn't. They only got worse. I was considering getting some help, when you got kidnapped. I put my problems on hold to find you, and it seemed to help, at least for a while. I stopped having nightmares. I thought they were gone for good."

"Once we found you, however, they came back, worse than ever. I couldn't sleep at all. I finally told Chase about what was happening to me, and he told me to get help. I was tired of living in fear, so I did. And it was the best thing I'd ever done for myself. I still have nightmares, but they rarely come now. I'm not saying you have to, but if you want to get past this, it might be a good idea. And don't worry, I'll pay for it. But for now, please. Tell me what you were dreaming about."

_Tyler's right. I do need to talk about it. _"Fine." She closed her eyes. "I was reliving all the bad things that had ever happened to me. Not just in that prison, but my whole life. I saw Jason dying, my kidnapping, the torture I suffered, all of it. But... Jack was the one doing it to me. He killed Jason, he kidnapped me. He was the one torturing me, telling me how pathetic I was. I know it's not real, but... it sure felt that way."

"Look, Chloe, I don't have any right to tell you how to live your life, but, are you and Jack having problems?" Tyler asked hesitantly.

"No, of course not" Chloe said quickly. "I love him more than I ever have, and I know he feels the same way about me. We're going to be married tomorrow. He's a good man, and he has never once raised a hand to me. We even make it a point to give each other some time to ourselves, to keep our relationship healthy. If there was a problem, he would tell me about it, right?"

"Right. I'm just a little concerned as to why you would picture Jack doing those things."

Chloe looked down. "I miss him, Tyler. I hate that he's not here right now. I want to just say screw tradition, and have him come back here."

"I understand. I felt the same way when Chase and I had to spend the night separated." Tyler patted Chloe on the shoulder. "You should try to get some sleep. I'm not Jack, but I'll sit with you until you fall asleep."

"Thanks, Tyler." Chloe smiled and quickly fell asleep. Tyler sat watching her for a while, and soon fell asleep herself.

2424242424

"Aunt Chloe!" Chloe looked up to see Chase's daughter Angela running towards her, giving her a big hug.

"Angela. Wow, you've really grown. The last time I saw you, you were a lot smaller. How's my niece doing?"

"I'm okay. Dad said I could come to your wedding if I was good."

Chloe smiled. "Well, I guess you've been a good girl, then."

"Yeah. Dad said I've been very good. I just wish he could spend more time with me. I miss having him around all the time. But Mama Tyler's been so nice to me. I like her. I'm glad that she's around."

"Good. Your mama Tyler loves you, too."

"Really?" Angela asked.

"Yep. She told me herself."

"Angela." Chloe looked up to see Chase coming their way, followed by Tyler. "Let's go sit down, sweetheart. You can see your Aunt Chloe later."

"Okay. Bye, Aunt Chloe." Angela walked off with her father, Tyler talking to her quietly. She soon grinned as she saw Jack heading her way. "Hi, Jack. I missed you."

"I missed you, too, Chloe. I always do." Jack saw the preacher heading their way. "You ready?"

"Yes. Let's do this, Jack." She looked at the small gathering, seeing all their friends. Bill and Karen had flown in from Vermont, sitting next to Tyler and Chase. Tom was standing a short distance away, keeping an eye on the ceremony, and Lou was walking the grounds. Both of them had agreed to run security for the wedding, insisting they would do it for nothing. Morris was sitting behind Bill, looking solemn, and Jack gasped as he saw Kim a short distance away. Chloe grabbed his hand reassuringly, and he smiled briefly.

"Let's begin" the preacher said solemnly, getting their attention, and the ceremony began. "We are here today to witness this union of souls. Jack, Chloe, this contract you are about to enter into is not to be done so lightly. By the vows you take, you pledge a lifetime to each other. If any of you object to this union, speak now, or forever hold your peace." Silence fell among the watchers, as none objected. "Very well." He turned to Chloe. "Do you, Chloe, take this man, Jack, to honor and to love, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in good times and in bad, until death do you part?"

"Yes. I do" Chloe said firmly.

"And do you, Jack, take this woman, Chloe, to honor and to love, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in good times and in bad, until death do you part?"

"I do" Jack said quietly, not taking his eyes off the woman he loved. The rings were quickly exchanged, and after a few more words, the preacher pronounced them husband and wife. Chloe quickly kissed Jack, surprising the crowd. She pulled back. "That was only the beginning."

"I know." He thanked the preacher for his time, then led Chloe into the crowd to mingle with their friends. Bill came up, a smile on his face. "Congratulations, you two."

"Thanks, Bill" Jack replied, then he saw his daughter walking towards him slowly. "Would you excuse me for a minute?"

"Sure, Jack. Go see your daughter" Chloe told him. _He needs some time with her. Better let him do it alone._

Jack hesitantly stepped out of the crowd towards his daughter. "Kim."

"Hi, dad."

"You- you came. How did you know?"

"I ran into Chase the other day. He told me about this." Kim looked down. "I almost didn't come. But... I'm glad I did."

"I'm glad you came, sweetheart" Jack told her.

Kim nodded. "Look, dad. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. Sorry for pushing you away, for being so awful to you all these years. I said so many horrible things to you."

"You don't need to apologize to me for any of that, Kim. No matter what's happened in the past, you're still my daughter. I love you. You remember what I told you that day I thought I was going to die?"

"Yeah, I do. How could I forget?"

"That hasn't changed" Jack said. "No matter what you decide to do with your life, I'll back you up." He looked around.

"If you're looking for Barry, he's not here. I broke up with him years ago. I realized that all he was doing was turning me against you, telling me how everything that's happened to me was your fault. Dad... I was at rock bottom when I met him. I had just broken up with Chase, and I was still not over your death. Then he came along. He helped me. Once I was back to normal, I thought it was time to move on. But he convinced me to stay. He made me feel like everything was okay."

"But things change. That day I saw you, I was so angry that you had lied to me, that you couldn't trust me. But when Chloe told me you had been kidnapped, because of me, I stopped being mad at you. I began to regret all the things that I had done to you. I opened my eyes and saw what Barry was doing to me. I tried to break it off with him, and he became abusive, putting me down, accusing me of believing your lies. He showed who he really was, dad. It took me months to get away from him, but I finally did, after he hit me one night."

Jack merely looked down. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"I'm not. I'm free to live my life on my terms. And... I want you in my life. I still love you, dad." Kim embraced her father tentatively. The two of them stood hugging, until Kim pulled back. "Look, this is your wedding. Go on. We have plenty of time to talk later."

"Thanks, Kim." He smiled, then turned to join his friends, stopping to thank each of them for coming. Morris pulled him aside as he and Chloe were leaving. "Jack. Listen. I know you're a good man, but... don't you dare hurt her, you hear me? Or I will hurt you."

"I won't, Morris. I promise." He turned to Chloe. "Let's go, Chloe."

2424242424

"Are you sure?" Chloe spoke into the phone.

"Yes, Ms. O'Brian, I am. There's no mistake." Chloe heard the rustling of papers. "I'm going to set up an appointment for you next week. Will Thursday at 1 PM be okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Thank you, doctor." Chloe hung up the phone and looked down, her mind no longer on her programming. _Jack is going to freak. I guess now's a good time as any to tell him_. She wheeled herself into the living room, where Jack was waiting for her. "Chloe, are you all right?"

"I guess. Look, there's something I have to tell you. You might want to sit down."

Jack sat down. "What did the doctor say? Is everything all right?"

Chloe took a deep breath. "Everything's fine."

"Thank god."

"You're going to be a father again. I'm pregnant, Jack."


	39. First child

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 39

Jack felt his heart stop by what Chloe had told him, and he stared at her for a few moments. "You... you're pregnant?"

"Yeah, I am."

"How far along are you?"

"Only about a few weeks now" she said, shaking her head. "I know we didn't plan this, or anything like that, but I've wanted to have kids for years. It's just, my life has been too complicated, and, I was afraid that any child I brought into this world would grow up to suffer, just like I did."

"That won't happen, I promise you" Jack replied.

"I know."

Jack looked at her curiously. "What happened to your other child? When I came back from China, you told me you were pregnant. What about that child?"

Chloe hung her head. "It was taken from me when I was kidnapped. The bastard who took me had it aborted while I was being taken to that prison. I didn't find out until I saw the scar on my stomach when I had been stripped. That was a blow that almost killed me, Jack- my child, my future with Morris, my freedom- all of it was gone in one stroke, replaced by more pain and misery." Her eyes filled with tears. "I'm scared, Jack. They told me there was a good chance that I could lose this child, because of what I went through, and how badly I was hurt. I don't know if I could survive losing yet another child."

"Come here." Jack embraced his wife comfortingly. "Chloe, I will do whatever I have to to protect this child. I give you my word."

"I know you will, Jack. I trust you with my life. You know that. And I know you'll make a great father. I don't know if I'll be a good mother, though. I'm afraid that I'll be as bad a parent to this child as my parents were to me. I told you how horrible they were to me."

"Chloe, listen to me. That was different. I know you better than anyone. You are going to be a great mother. And I will be here every step of the way. This child is going to be surrounded by love, not pain."

Chloe leaned into Jack. "Thanks, Jack." The two sat holding each other, until Chloe pulled away. "There's something I have to tell you, Jack. No one else knows about this, except Tyler, and she doesn't know much."

"All right. What is it?"

Chloe sighed. "The child I was going to have with Morris wasn't my first pregnancy. When I was 17, I met this guy when I was at computer camp. We started going out, and... one night, we started fooling around. I found out a few weeks later that I was pregnant. I told him about it, and he broke it off, saying he wasn't ready to be a father. He said he wanted nothing more to do with me, or any child of mine."

"When my father found out, he was so furious. He screamed at me for an hour, telling me over and over that I was nothing but a pathetic slag, and how I brought shame on the family with my disgraceful ways. Once he had yelled himself hoarse, he gave me a brutal whipping and threw me out of the house. That was the most alone I'd ever felt, Jack. My father might have been a bastard, but he had always given me a home, if you could call it that. Not this time. He effectively disowned me that day. My mother sided with him, and Tyler was away at school."

"Jason found out that I had been thrown out when my father warned him not to have any contact with me, and he let me come live with him until I could get situated on my own. He took care of me- taking me to all my doctor's appointments, finding me a place to live on my own, helping me with school, so I could still graduate- all of it. He told me that my father was wrong, and I hadn't brought shame on him. He said that no matter what mistakes I had made, he still cared about me, and he wouldn't let me go through this alone. When my child was born, Jason was right beside me. I had a son, and I named him Connor, after my grandfather, the only other member of my family that still cared about me."

"A few days later, Jason told me that he was enlisting in the Marines. He said that he wanted to serve his country, and help protect Connor and me from people that would hurt us. By that time, though, I was about to start college, and I knew that I couldn't raise a child and go to school at the same time. I tried for a while, but I couldn't handle it. I made the decision to give Connor up for adoption, to let him have a chance at a good life, better than the one I could have given him. Jason said he would adopt him, but just before everything was finalized, he died."

"I was not only crushed that my brother was dead, but I also mourned the future that had been taken from my son. I was back to square one. But everything worked out and a couple that lived in Georgia adopted him. Giving Connor up was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, but I know it was right. Not just for me, but for him."

Chloe sniffed. "That was the last time I saw him. After I resigned from CTU the day you came back from China, I made the decision to try and find him. I wanted to get my life completely back in order, and that included settling things with my son. But before I could find him, I was kidnapped. Now that my life is in order, I want to find him, Jack, and tell him the truth. Even if he wants nothing to do with me after that." She looked at Jack. "Will you help me, Jack?"

"Of course I will, Chloe. I will do whatever I can to help you find Connor."

"Thank you, Jack." Chloe smiled and leaned back into him. Jack put his hand on her stomach and smiled. I'm going to be a father again.

2424242424

"Good afternoon, Chloe" Dr. Paxton greeted Chloe as she was wheeled into the exam room.

"Hello, Dr. Paxton" Chloe responded, manuvering her chair around expertly and getting up on the table with Jack's help. Dr. Paxton left so Chloe could undress in privacy. He came back in a few minutes later and began the examination. He finished up quickly and prepped the ultrasound. "Let's get a look at your child. Do you want to know the child's gender? I can keep it a surprise if you want."

"We want to know" Chloe said quickly. They had made the decision to not keep it a surprise, so they could prep the baby's room accordingly.

"All right, then. Let's get started." He began running the wand back and forth over Chloe's stomach, slowly getting an image of her womb. Chloe turned to watch the monitor, gasping as she saw 3 distinctive shapes come into focus. "Oh, my god." She turned to look at Jack, who was standing in shock.

"Well, I would say congratulations are in order. You're going to have triplets" Dr. Paxton told the stunned couple. "From what I can see here, one is a boy, and one is a girl. I can't tell on the other one, though." He turned off the ultrasound and turned to Chloe. "I'll be back in a few minutes to talk to you."

Chloe turned back to Jack once he had left. "Triplets. I don't believe it."

Jack shook his head to clear it. "You know what this means, right?"

"Things just got a lot more complicated for us, that's for sure. We were expecting only one child, and now 3?" Chloe put her face in her hands, looking up as Jack put his hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be all right, Chloe."

Chloe gave him a faint smile. "I wish I could be as confident as you are, Jack." She turned as Dr. Paxton came back in.

"Well, it looks like your babies are healthy, Chloe. They're growing as well as they could be, with 3 of them. Now, as far as you're concerned, your blood tests revealed dangerously high levels of glucose. If it's not regulated, that could cause harm to the fetuses. I'm putting you on a strict diet to lower your blood sugar to a normal level. I'm also recommending that you refrain from walking as much as possible. Walking on your weakened legs could damage them. Make sure that any trips you have to take are absolutely necessary." He handed her some papers. "These should answer any questions you might have, but feel free to call me anytime, day or night. I want to see you back here next Wednesday as well."

He left again, and Chloe quickly got dressed, then glanced over the information Dr. Paxton had given her, scowling as she read the diet she was expected to follow. "Well, this just sucks. Look at this crap, Jack. Why didn't he just tell me to eat cardboard for the next 6 months? That's what the crap I have to eat tastes like."

"It's not going to be that bad, Chloe. Besides, it's either eat that, or hurt the babies. You don't want that to happen, do you?"

"No" Chloe replied.

"Don't worry, Chloe. You just follow orders, and you'll be fine."

2424242424

Jack pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and helped Chloe get out. _She's nervous. But I don't blame her._

"I'm scared, Jack. What if he hates me? I did give him up."

"What have I always told you? Everything's going to be fine. Just have faith."

Chloe was wheeled into the restaurant, ignoring the stares from the 2 other patrons and stopping at her favorite table. The owner came over to greet them. "Jack. Chloe. This is certainly a surprise. It's been a while." He looked at Chloe. "You're pregnant. How long?"

"5 months now, Shawn. Triplets."

"Well, congratulations. That's all I can offer, since your meals are always on the house."

"It's all right, Shawn. It's the thought that counts" Jack said.

"What would you guys like to drink?"

"I'll have some water" Chloe said. Jack ordered the same, and they were soon left alone to wait.

"Excuse me" a male voice behind Chloe said a few minutes later. She turned to see a young man standing a short distance away. "Are you Chloe O'Brian?"

"Yeah, I am."

He held out his hand hesitantly. "I'm Connor Stallings- your son."

Chloe was unable to move, the emotion at seeing her son for the first time in 20 years taking over. She soon shook her head, then shook his hand. "Hi." She motioned behind her. "This is my husband Jack."

"Hello, Connor" Jack said, getting up to greet him. Connor shook his hand as well, then turned to Chloe. "You mind if I sit down?"

"No, not at all. Please, sit down." He sat down, and Jack cleared his throat. "I'm going to give you two some time alone. I'll be out in the car." He gave Chloe a quick hug, then left, leaving them alone.

Chloe sighed. "I don't know where to begin. I had this all planned out in my head, and now..."

"Why don't you start with why? Why did you give me up? Didn't you love me?"

"Of course I did, Connor. I loved you more than anything. That's why I gave you up. I wanted you to have a better life than I could give you back then. My life wasn't exactly ideal for raising a child. You deserved better."

Connor looked down. "That still doesn't excuse the fact that you gave me away."

"I know it doesn't" Chloe said. "But... giving you up was the hardest thing I've ever done, Connor, and I've had to do a lot of hard things in my life. I knew that it was the right thing to do, for both of us, but it didn't make it any less painful for me. I've thought about you every day since then. I wanted so many times to contact you, tell you the truth, but I couldn't. I didn't want to risk exposing you to my line of work, and I was afraid that you would hate me for giving you up."

He looked at her. "When I was 14, and I found out that I was adopted, my only thought was to find you and ask you why you gave me away. It wasn't easy. Everything I tried came up empty. For 5 years, I searched for you. One day, when my latest attempt went cold, I had had enough of failure, so I gave up. I convinced myself that it wasn't worth it, and got on with my life. I told myself that if you didn't want me, then I didn't want you."

"But then, when you contacted me, I was so mad at myself for giving up, that I agreed to meet with you, if only to tell you to get lost. But on the way here, something told me to give you a chance to explain why you did it. And... I guess... I'm not mad at you. I know the truth now, and that's all that matters." Connor glanced over to the door, where Jack was standing, watching Chloe anxiously. "What about my father? Is... is he my father?"

Chloe looked away. "No, he's not, Connor. Your father is a deadbeat. When I told him I was pregnant with you, he took off. He said he wanted nothing more to do with me, and nothing to do with you, either. I haven't seen him since." She looked back at her son. "Look, Connor, I don't expect you to forgive me for what I did, or anything like that. If you don't ever want to see me again, then I won't blame you. All I'm asking... is that you give me a chance to be in your life- as a friend, if nothing else."

Connor looked at her for a few minutes, then nodded. "I can give that a try."

Chloe smiled faintly. _Thank god. _"So, what else do you want to know?"

2424242424

"Oh, that feels so good" Chloe said in relief as Jack rubbed her aching back. He finished up and she lay back down. "I am so tired of this. Tired of not being able to sleep, tired of the crappy food I have to eat, tired of looking like a beached whale. I just want this pregnancy to be over."

"You look beautiful, Chloe."

"No, I don't, Jack. I look like a blimp."

Jack just rolled his eyes. "Chloe, have I ever lied to you?"

"No."

"Then trust me" he said. "You look more and more beautiful every day. And our children will be just as beautiful as their mother."

"You think so?"

"I know so." He suddenly looked serious. "So, how are things going with you and Connor?"

"It's been hard, Jack. 20 years of separation doesn't just go away overnight. We're still trying to figure each other out. But at least he wants to get to know me. I was so afraid that he'd want nothing to do with me." She grimaced as she felt a cramp. "There's another one."

"Chloe, are you all right?"

She brushed off his concern. "I'm fine, Jack." Another cramp. "Okay, maybe I'm not fine." She gasped as she felt her water break. "Oh, god. Jack, they're coming. Now."


	40. Payback

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 40

The harsh clanging of a nightstick woke Chloe from a light slumber, and she turned to look at the guard standing outside her cell. "You know the drill, Anderson. On your feet."

"Yes, sir" she said humbly, allowing herself to be cuffed and lead once again to the same interrogation room she had seen too many times in the 2 weeks she had been in custody. The guard secured her to the table and stood aside, watching her carefully. She didn't have long to wait this time as she saw Stuart Reilly come in and sit down. "Good afternoon, Chloe. I assume you know why we're here."

"Is this another debrief, sir?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes." Reilly pulled out some papers. "After a lot of careful consideration, I've made the decision to shut down my project. What happened with you demonstrated to me how dangerous having sensitive intelligence in the hands of one person is. This agency can't afford another mistake like that. Don't worry, Chloe. No one else that's involved with the project will ever know anything about your hard drive, or about the intelligence you stored on there. It's been safely stored away. And no one got hurt."

"Mr. Reilly, I didn't mean for this to happen" Chloe replied quietly. "I would never compromise national security. I swear to you, sir, if I had known what was in those files, I never would have put them in that prototype. If you want to lock me up for what I did, then that's what I deserve. I won't try to fight it."

"Whoa, whoa, hold on, hold on. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Chloe" Reilly said quickly. "I've been reviewing your case extensively. I told you that you didn't seem like the type of person that would do this. All the records of your work on the project were carefully examined once you were taken into custody. We've already arrested Peter Michaels for his role. He confessed to intentionally giving you classified information to frame you."

"Wait a minute, sir. Are you saying that Michaels did this on purpose? That doesn't make any sense. Why would he want to set me up?"

"I was hoping you could tell me."

Chloe was confused. "I honestly couldn't tell you why he would, sir. I'd never even heard of him until he came to run the unit."

"From what he's told us, it was personal. He wanted revenge for something you did to him." Reilly looked at Chloe seriously. "Chloe, please tell me what you know. Why would Peter Michaels throw his career away for revenge against you? What did you do to him?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Reilly. But what I told you was the truth. The only one who could tell you is him." Chloe shifted. "I have been nothing but honest with you the entire time I've been in custody, sir. I have cooperated fully with this investigation. If I knew anything, I would tell you. But I don't." She stopped as a thought came to her. "I have something to ask you, sir."

"What is it?"

"You said Michaels gave me those files intentionally. I never told him what they were going to be used for. Did he somehow find out?"

"Yes, he did" Reilly replied. "He knew from the beginning the details of the project. He said that was the only reason he allowed you to work on it. When you asked him for junk files, he saw it as his chance to get to you, so he hacked into DOD archives and pulled as much information as he could, passing them off as harmless junk, hoping that you would put them in your prototype, so he could bust you."

_He set me up. I don't believe it. I'm going to be locked up for the rest of my life because of him._Chloe looked down. "Can I speak to him, sir? I want to find out why he did this."

"Yes, you can. I'll have him brought in." Reilly stood up, gathering his papers, and left, returning a few minutes later with 3 more guards and Michaels, who was secured opposite Chloe. He refused to look at her. "Look at me, sir" Chloe told him.

Michaels slowly raised his head, glaring at her with hatred. "What the hell do you want, Anderson? You've already wrecked my career. Did you want to see me to rub it in?"

"You did that yourself, sir, when you tried to frame me. Do you think I wanted to talk? No. I would have kept quiet. But I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in prison so you could get away with this. But what's done is done. All I want to know is, why? Why did you do this to me?"

Michaels scoffed. "You're even stupider than you look, Anderson. You mean you honestly don't know?"

Chloe glared at him. "If I did, you think I'd be wasting my time in your presence? Tell me."

"Fine. Since you're so eager to know, it was personal. You hurt my brother, and I wanted payback."

Chloe was confused. "Your brother? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't play naive, Anderson. You sent Lex to prison, and ruined his reputation."

_Lex? Who's... No. No way. It couldn't be. _"Alex? This is about Alex? He's your brother?"

Michaels continued to glare at her. "Yes. Alex Thomas is my brother. And he's an honorable man. He wouldn't ever hurt anyone."

Chloe was mad. "Your brother assaulted me, sir. That was after he spent weeks harassing me. If you think assault and harassment is honorable behavior, then you must have a twisted idea of honor."

"That's a lie, Anderson" Michaels retorted. "Lex would never do that. Besides, he's still my brother. I would stand by him no matter what. An insult like the one you gave him cannot go unpunished. Can you say the same about Tyler? You know, your sister?"

"Don't you ever mention that name!" Chloe shouted, getting out of her chair, ignoring the pressure her restraints put on her. "I don't give a damn about her! She can rot in hell. As far as I'm concerned, I don't have a sister, and that's fine with me." She sat back down, shifting her arms to ease the pressure on them. "Look, my personal life is none of your business. I'm going to prison for the rest of my life, all because of you. All I wanted to know was why. Now I know. And I have nothing more to say to you."

"All right, this is over" Reilly cut in. "Take him back to his cell." Michaels was escorted out, but not before he stopped, and turned to face Chloe. "You're going to rot in prison for the rest of your life, Anderson. I've gotten what I wanted- payback. And that's enough for me." He left, smirking, and Chloe felt her rage leave. She sat back down and looked down at the floor. _Time to face the music._

"That was... interesting" Reilly remarked, then sat down and looked at Chloe. "Now, there's only one thing left to settle- what happens to you. Chloe, I can't deny that what you did was wrong, and I can't just let you go without consequences. But what I can do, since you have cooperated fully with me, and it's clear that you didn't do this intentionally, is get you a reduced sentence. I'm offering you a choice. I have to suspend you from CTU without pay, and you will have to spend further time in custody. You can either spend one month here in a cell, or two months under house arrest. Your arrest and incarceration will be noted in your file. But once your incarceration is over, I will reinstate you to your position at CTU, on probation."

_I can go back to CTU? I can still have a career? And all I have to do is spend a month in prison? _Chloe looked up. "I'll serve my time here, sir."

Reilly stood up. "All right." He turned to leave, then stopped. "I'm sorry this had to happen to you, Chloe. If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know."

"I will, sir. And thank you."

Reilly nodded, then turned to the guard. "You can take her back to her cell now. We're finished."

2424242424

Chloe stood in front of the check-in station at CTU waiting for the guard to clear her for entry. She was about to start her first day back after her incarceration, and her nerves were on edge. _I haven't been here in months. Everyone's probably forgotten about me._

"You're clear, Ms. Anderson. Go on ahead" the guard told her.

Chloe picked up her laptop and stepped nervously out on the floor. The bustle of activity stopped instantly as she walked towards her station, and Chloe felt the eyes of everyone on her, but she held her head up high and sat down, getting right to work. She soon found herself surrounded by noise as work resumed in the bullpen quickly. Chloe was working on a file when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Chase. "Hey, Chloe. It's good to see you."

"Hey, Chase." She stood up and embraced him firmly. "It's good to see you, too."

"I heard about what happened, Chloe. I tried to see you, but they wouldn't let me. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Glad to be out, that's for sure. I never want to go back there. From now on, I play totally by the book. No more protocol-breaking for me."

Chase looked at her skeptically. "We'll see. Look, I have to get back to work. I'll see you around, Chloe."

"Bye, Chase." Chloe watched him leave, then got back to work, jumping as she felt a hand on her back. Morris was standing behind her. "Hello, Chloe."

"Morris? What are you doing here?"

"I'm working for CTU now. After the project was shut down, I requested a transfer. And here I am. But enough about me. Are you okay? You look a little pale."

"I just got out of prison, Morris. But I'll be fine. Look, we need to talk-"

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Both Morris and Chloe turned to the center of the bullpen, where Reilly was standing with a woman neither of them knew. "I want to introduce you to Alberta Green. She'll be taking over here full-time. I also want to thank Agents Collier and Edmunds for stepping up to keep this unit running smoothly until now. The floor's all yours, Alberta."

"Thank you. All protocols will be restructured, and new assignments will be handed out to department heads shortly. Until then, there's work to be done, so get back to it."

Morris went back to his station, and Chloe ran to catch Reilly as he was leaving. "Mr. Reilly."

He turned to face her. "What is it, Chloe?"

"I just wanted to thank you for letting me come back here, and not locking me up for the rest of my life. Thank you, sir."

He nodded. "You're welcome. Now, I had to pull some strings and call in a few favors to get you reinstated. Some of the higher-ups thought you were a liability, but I convinced them otherwise. Please don't make me regret my decision."

"I won't, sir. I promise you."

Reilly shook her hand. "This is probably going to be the last time you'll ever see me, so good luck, Chloe." He left and Chloe quickly got back to work, studying the revised protocols, feeling relieved when she saw that all of Michaels' military protocols had been eliminated. _This might not be so bad after all._ Her phone rang and she jumped to answer it. "CTU, Anderson."

"Chloe, it's Alberta Green. Come to my office immediately. I want to talk to you."

Chloe went pale. _She just got here, and I'm already in trouble? That has to be some kind of record. _She walked slowly up to Green's office and knocked on the door. Green beckoned her in, and Chloe shut the door behind her. "You wanted to see me, Ms. Green?"

"Yes, I did. I'm busy, so I'm not going to waste my time beating around the bush here, Chloe. I've read your file, and I know about the trouble you're in. I don't have the patience to deal with rule-breakers, even ones that produce results. You might have convinced Reilly that you're innocent, but not me. I'll be watching you very closely. One screw-up, one protocol broken, and you're out of here. You understand?"

"I do. And believe me, Ms. Green, you won't have any problems with me. I work 100 by the book."

Green looked at her in disbelief. "I'm sorry, but I can't just take your word for it."

"You don't have to take my word for it" Chloe replied. "Just know that I have no interest in going back to prison. I spent almost 2 months there, and that was more than enough."

Green stared at her, then looked down at her desk. "Fine. You're dismissed. Get back to work, Chloe. You have some serious catching up to do."

Chloe left Green's office and sat back down at her station, getting to work. _I'll show her. We'll see who has the last word._

2424242424

"Hang on, Chloe" Jack said urgently as he drove quickly to the hospital, keeping one eye on Chloe, who was doubled over in pain. She moaned as yet another contraction hit her. "Hurry up, Jack. I don't think I can wait much longer" she gasped in pain.

"We're almost there. Just a few more minutes" Tyler called out from the backseat.

Chloe resisted the urge to hit Tyler, and focused on blocking out the pain. _At least something good came from my imprisonment. I know how to block out pain now._

Jack pulled into the parking lot of the hospital, and put Chloe in her wheelchair, wheeling it in quickly. "We need some help here!"

Chloe was rushed to the delivery room and lay down, crying out as the pain became too much for her to block out.

"All right, you're ready" the doctor said a few minutes later. "Come on, push."

"I am pushing" Chloe muttered. The next contraction hit her harder, and she screamed loudly.

"Something's wrong. Nothing's coming out" the doctor told her. "I was afraid of this. We're going to have to do a C-section."

"You're cutting me open?"

"You want to lose these children? It's the only way. Don't worry, I'll give you something for the pain." His assistant injected a painkiller into her IV, and Chloe sighed in slight relief as the pain lessened slightly, then yelled as another contraction hit her.

"Just relax, Chloe. Breathe" Jack told her.

"Shut up, Jack! This is all your fault! You are never, ever, touching me again, you bastard!"

"Chloe, just try to stay calm" Tyler interjected.

"You shut up, too, Tyler" Chloe yelled hysterically. She looked away and closed her eyes as her stomach was cut open, and one by one, her children were delivered.

"You can open your eyes, now" Jack said, holding a crying child in his arms. "You want to see your daughter?" He handed her the child gingerly, and Chloe was unable to speak, overcome with emotion. _My daughter? This beautiful child is mine?_

"She's beautiful, Chloe" Chase said.

Chloe smiled. "What about the other 2?"

Jack took his daughter, and both of the boys were placed in Chloe's arms one at a time. _My sons. My beautiful sons._

"Well, everything seems to be fine here" the doctor cut in, breaking up the awestruck family. "I want you and your children to stay here for a few days for observation, and make sure everthing's okay. I'll be back later to check on you."

"I still can't believe it" Chloe said once he had left.

"Believe it" Jack told her, giving her a kiss.

"Congratulations, you guys" Chase said. "Have you thought of names?"

"Yeah, I have" Chloe replied, motioning to the son in Tyler's arms. "His name's Edgar. Edgar Jason."

"What about him?"

"David Anthony. And her name is Teri Michelle." She looked worriedly at Jack. "Is that okay with you, Jack?"

Jack was stunned, then smiled. "Thank you, Chloe." He reluctantly handed his daughter off to the nurses, then embraced his wife, who hugged him back, then promptly fell asleep. _You just rest now, Chloe. You deserve it. And you're going to need it._


	41. Epilogue

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

_Here it is, the final installment. Enjoy._

Epilogue

_10 years later..._

"Are we there yet, Mom?"

"No, Edgar, we're not there yet. Just a few more minutes" Chloe called out patiently. _Kids. So impatient._

"I'm hungry" David piped up.

"We'll eat when we get there, David" Jack said, turning to glare at his kids. "Now, I don't want to hear anything else out of you three until then, got it?"

"Yes, dad" the 3 kids in the backseat said flatly.

"Good." Jack turned back around, focusing on the road. They reached the park a few minutes later, and the kids got out quickly, running for the playground. "Make sure you stay where your mom and I can see you!"

"We will!"

Jack helped Chloe out of the car and she wheeled herself to their favorite bench, sitting down next to Jack. "At least it didn't rain today" Chloe remarked.

"That's one bit of good news." The two of them sat in silence, enjoying each other's company, both keeping a watchful eye on their offspring.

"Jack, Chloe, there you are." Chloe turned around to see Tyler and Chase heading their way, their 2 children running off to play with their cousins.

"Hey, Ty. Chase."

"Hey, Jack, come on. Let's let these two have some time alone." Jack and Chase left, leaving Tyler alone with Chloe.

"It's been a while, Chlo."

"It's only been a few days. But that's beside the point. How have you guys been?" Chloe asked.

"Couldn't be better" Tyler replied. "Of course, the kids keep us busy. I don't think we were nearly as energetic when we were that young."

"Tell me about it. Things were different with us, though. We spent most of our time growing up in fear. Our kids have a much brighter future than we did." Chloe shook her head. "Even though it's been 15 years, I still worry every day that this is all a dream, that I'm going to wake up back in that prison. I don't think that's ever going to stop."

"Well, if this is a dream, then don't you dare wake me up."

"Deal." Chloe looked over to where the children were playing. "Edgar Jason Bauer! You come here right now, young man!"

Edgar trotted over to his mother. "What have I told you about hitting your sister, Edgar?"

"Not to."

"Then why did you just do it?"

"Because she was beating me in tag" Edgar pouted.

"Edgar, you can't hit someone just because they were winning a game. It's not nice. You do that again, and you're going to time-out, mister. You understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"All right. Now go on. Go play. And be nice to your sister."

"Are we going to eat soon?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes, we are" Chloe said. Edgar grinned and ran off to play. Chloe shook her head ruefully. "I swear, he's just like his father sometimes."

"I thought you liked his father" Tyler remarked slyly, wiggling her eyebrows.

Chloe scowled. "Oh, shut up, Tyler. Don't even go there, not today."

"Hey, you started it, Chloe."

"I did not. You're the one who took it there."

"Oh, come on, sis."

"Whatever." Chloe jumped as a hand fell on her shoulder, and turned around to see Connor standing behind her. "Connor. Hi."

"Hello, Mom. It's been a while since I've seen you."

"Yeah, it has."

Tyler stood up suddenly. "Look, I'm going to leave you two alone, and go watch the kids." She left and Connor took her spot.

"So... what have you been up to the last couple of weeks?" Chloe said, deciding to break the ice.

"I've kept busy. I've gotten a job as a programmer for ELT. It's been a bit of an adjustment, not doing freelance work, but it's steady pay, and the hours are good. I've still found time to do some hacking on the side. What about you?"

"Honestly, Connor, I haven't been able to do much hacking recently. The kids keep me busy, but Jack's been helpful. He tries to make sure we both get some time to ourselves, but I miss having him to myself all the time. But that's the choice I made when I had these kids." _She clammed up instantly. I just had to remind him that I gave him up, and kept these kids. I'm so stupid. _"I'm sorry, Connor. I- I didn't mean-"

"Don't worry about it" Connor interrupted. "I know how you feel. I know you love me, and that's all that matters." He looked down. "Look, Mom, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"...I met someone a few months ago. His name's Andrew. We've been going out. I've had boyfriends before, but nothing serious. It was always a fling with them. But with Andrew, it's different. I can totally be myself when I'm with him. I feel like I've known him all my life. I care about him, Mom." He looked up at Chloe. "I was thinking about asking him to be my partner, but I'm scared he'll say no. I don't think I could take it if he turned me down."

_Oh, god. _"Look, Connor, I'm the last person who could give you advice on relationships. Until I got together with Jack, my track record with men was horrible. And even with Jack, we spent years making ourselves miserable denying how we felt about each other. All I can tell you is to go for it, if you really feel that way." She cautiously put her hand on his shoulder. "No matter what happens in the future, I'll be there for you. I still regret not being there for you growing up, but that doesn't mean I won't try."

Connor took her hand in his and smiled. "Thanks, Mom." He looked up as Teri came running towards him, grinning. "Connor!"

"Hey, Teri. How's my little sister?" He grunted as he picked her up. "You're getting big, sweetheart."

"Connor, will you play with me? Everyone else is playing war games, and I don't want to."

"Of course I will" Connor told her, looking at Chloe expectantly. "Do you mind, Mom?"

Chloe looked at her watch. "It's lunchtime. Why don't we eat first, then you two can do whatever."

"Okay." Chloe wheeled herself over to the tables she and Jack had reserved, watching as everyone was settled in and began eating. "David, don't wolf your food. It's not going anywhere" she called out to her son, who stopped scarfing down his lunch. "Edgar, get your elbows off the table."

"Yes, mom."

She looked over at Teri, who was sitting next to Connor, the two of them talking quietly. Tyler nudged Chloe. "Who do they remind you of?"

"I know, Tyler. They're just like Jason and me." She smiled wistfully. "I still miss Jason, Tyler. The pain of losing him is still there. I pray that Teri doesn't have to go through that." She looked back at Tyler. "I trust Connor. He wouldn't let anything happen to her." She stopped talking and quickly dug into her lunch, enjoying the time with her family. _After all the bad stuff we've all been through, I'm going to enjoy this._

2424242424

"Time for bed, guys" Jack said a few hours later, when they had returned home and were winding down from the day.

"Awwww" all 3 moaned. "Dad, we don't want to go to bed."

"It's your bedtime. You have school tomorrow" Chloe said in her no-nonsense tone, pointing upstairs. "Now go wash up, then get into bed. You have 10 minutes. If you're not in bed by then, then no TV after school tomorrow."

"Fine" Edgar grumbled. "Come on, guys" he said, leading the other 2 upstairs. Chloe watched them walk away, then turned to Jack. "Thanks for today, Jack."

"Hey, I enjoyed it just as much as you did" he replied with a smile, kissing her quickly.

"It was so good to get out of the house and let the kids have some fun. And we got some time to ourselves."

"Oh, I think we can fit in some more time, once the kids are asleep" Jack said, grinning, then turning on the TV to watch. Chloe joined him for a few minutes, then looked at the time. "I'm going to go check on the kids. They should be in bed by now."

"All right." Chloe wheeled herself up the stairs, stopping in Edgar's room first. He was staring up at the ceiling, looking bored. "Edgar, go to sleep."

"I'm not tired, Mom."

"Edgar, we do this every night. If you don't go to sleep now, you'll be too tired to get up tomorrow. Close your eyes."

He closed his eyes. "Will you turn my nightlight on, so the monsters don't get me?"

"Of course I will." Chloe turned on the nightlight, and Edgar smiled, quickly falling asleep. "Good night, Edgar" she whispered, leaving his room to check on Teri. She was trying to sleep, but not having any luck. "I can't sleep, Mom."

"Just try. Please."

"Mom? Can I go stay with Connor next weekend? He wants me to come over and spend some time with him."

Chloe brushed aside the ache in her heart and smiled. "If you behave this week, then we'll see. I'll have to ask your father, but I'm sure he'll say yes."

"I'll try to behave, then."

"That's my girl. Now, go to sleep." She kissed her daughter on the forehead, then left to see David. He was sitting up. "Mom, I'm thirsty. Can I have some water?"

"No, you can't, David. You know if you drink any water before bedtime, you'll wet the bed."

"No, I won't. Not this time. Besides, you let Teri and Edgar have some water."

"That's because Teri and Edgar don't wet the bed when they have some water. You do. Now I'm not budging this time, young man. Go to sleep." He looked away from her in anger. "David Anthony Bauer, if you don't go to sleep right now, you are grounded, mister."

"Oh, fine." He glared at his mother, then closed his eyes. Chloe shook her head, then left to rejoin Jack. "The kids are asleep."

"Did you have any problems?"

"Same old stuff. None of them could sleep, and David was pestering me for water." On Jack's look, she scowled. "I didn't give him any, Jack. I did the other night, and he wet the bed again. I'm not repeating that mistake."

"All right, I believe you." He smiled at his wife, then pulled her into a kiss, trapping her until he could take no more and pulled back, breathing hard. "I love you, Chloe."

"I love you too, Jack. I always will."

The End.


End file.
